ARISS contact planned with school in Louisville, Kentucky

Tuesday February 14, 2012 at approximately 20.15 UTC, which is 21.15 CEWT, an educational ARISS contact is planned with the Academy@Shawnee Louisville, Kentucky. Venue is at Challenger Learning Center and assisting organization is the Louisville Astronomical Society.

The Academy@Shawnee is an inner city high school of about 500 students. It has been designated as the Aerospace Magnet School for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky. Students who attend the school have the option to focus on one of three career paths in aerospace. If a student’s desire is to become a pilot, he or she can earn a private pilots license. We have the only FAA Part 141 Private Pilots Course offered in a high school in the nation. Students wishing to study engineering can enroll in Project Lead the Way, one of the nation’s premier pre-college engineering programs. This is a five course program with an aerospace focus. Students wanting to become an Aircraft Mechanic can earn 25 college hours as they work towards a FAA Airframe and Powerplant License.

Today, participating students are members of the Science Club. Last year, the students designed an experiment that flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Our goal this year is to study experiments Near Space using high altitude balloons. The venue is in the Challenger Learning Center. This Center is designed to provide students with an exciting simulated space mission that includes a realistic Mission Control room and an orbiting Space Station. The center is the principal outreach to middle schools. It is designed to get students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and encourages them to choose The Academy@Shawnee as their high school.

The ARISS contact will be a telebridge operated by ON4ISS, located in Belgium. Downlink signals will be audible in Western Europe on 145.800 MHz.

The astronaut answering the questions will probabley be Daniel C. Burbank KC5ZSX.

The contact will be broadcast on EchoLink AMSAT (node 101 377) and JK1ZRW (node 277 208) Conference servers, as well as on IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010.

Students will ask as many of the following questions as time allows.

1. Ashley: Last year we sent an experiment on the Space Shuttle Endeavor. We were testing the effect of microgravity on Lactobacillus GG a bacterium that occurs naturally in the human intestinal tract and aids in digestion, especially of dairy products. Our experiment showed that microgravity had little to no effect on Lactobacillus GG during a 15 day mission. Are there any dairy products in your current diet and have you or any of your crew ever experienced digestive problems that could be contributed to them or the duration of your mission?

2. Darius: How long does it take to regain all your physical ability when you come back to earth? Does exercise on board the ISS have any impact on recovery time and does exercise seem more or less strenuous in microgravity?

3. Sean: What are some of the experiments currently o board the ISS? How does the crew interact with a typical experiment?

4. Bradley: What is a typical day like on the ISS, how much control do you have over your own schedule and is there any down time? If so, how do you use this time?

5. Greg: To what extent is the ISS self sustaining or is there a constant need for resupply from earth? What are some of the features of the ISS that might be used in the construction of spacecraft designed for long duration space flight?

6. Vladimir: What is the projected life expectancy for the ISS program? Is it fully functional now and how long did it take to assemble the ISS in space?

7. Dakota: We know that several companies are planning to commercialize travel to low earth orbit in the near future. What role do you see these private companies playing in the future of space exploration and do you foresee tours to the ISS any time soon?

8. Ben: Can you feel the cold of space through your space suit while on spacewalks? We have been told that an astronaut once said that space has a burnt smell. Have you noticed anything like that?

9. Deondra: When the ISS is occupied with a full crew, how many astronauts will be allowed out on an EVA at one time? How far from the ISS can you go? How long will a typical EVA last. What are the rescue procedures for an EVA?

10. Terry: Are the Rescue Pods used for anything other than an emergency evacuation of the ISS? How are the pods maintained and are they reusable? Why do they need to be changed out every few months?

11. Teddy: Does NASA plan on putting artificial gravity on the ISS? If not, why and would there be any advantages to having gravity from a medical standpoint?

12. Laya: What do you do when you are sick? What is the level of care that can be provided on the ISS? Would it be possible to do minor surgery on the station. How does microgravity impact medical care?

13. De Shaun: What is the coolest thing you have seen or done on the ISS?

14. Justin: What led you to become an astronaut? What do you miss most ( besides family and friends) while living on the ISS?

15. Cody: Describe your diet. With an international crew on board what country provides the meals? Does the fact that you are in space affect food texture or how it tastes?

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries.

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers onboard the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology and learning.

73

Gaston Bertels, ON4WF

ARISS Chairman