DOUBLE CONTACT FOR ESA
ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA WITH “MONTANI” INSTITUTE FERMO, ITALY
Thursday, 12 May, 2011 at
09:53 UTC and 11:23 UTC, i.e. 11:53 and 13:23 local time “Gerolamo e Margherita
Montani” Technical Industrial Institute in Fermo,
Italy established double ARISS contact with Italian astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI,
IZ0JPA onboard the International Space Station. Astronaut NESPOLI operated with
the special Italian callsign IR0ISS that he will use during his mission. The
“Montani” Institute operated the contact with callsign I6KZR.
Gerolamo e Margherita
Montani Higher Technical Institute is located in Fermo, the most important and
ancient town in the district north of the province. Fermo has become recently a
new Province of Marche Region. The Montani Institute is one of the earliest
Italian technical schools. These are the courses that the school offers:
Chemistry, Materials and Biotechnologies, Electronics and Electrotechnical,
Computer Science and Telecommunications, Mechanics, Mechatronics and Energy.
ARISS mentor Francesco De
Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to radio contact coordinator in Fermo to set up a
direct contact with assistance from the ARISS telebridge station IK1SLD
installed at Casale Monferrato Airport, Piemonte, Italy. Mr. Renzo Ciarpella
I6KZR, radio contact coordinator for this ARISS event, decided in favour of
this set up. The questions were read by the students of the “Montani”
Institute. The contacts took place at school where an audience of about 300
students, teachers, visitors and media participated to the ARISS event.
At 09:53 UTC, contact with
IR0ISS was established by station I6KZR. Astronaut Paolo NESPOLI answered 9
questions from Columbus module via Ericsson radio. At 11:23 UTC, contact with
IR0ISS was again established by I6KZR. Paolo NESPOLI answered 12 more questions
by students. During both pass the signal from ISS was loud and clear.
Regional and local media
and newspapers covered the event.
Live Streaming video was
for both contacts on:
http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia
ARISS contact was
announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMV1IJSDNG_Italy_0.html
Congratulations to I6KZR
Team!
73
Francesco De Paolis,
IK0WGF
ARISS mentor