Successful ARISS Contact for “Liceo Statale Adelaide Cairoli”, Pavia, Italy

Tuesday October 9, 2012 at 10.00 UTC, which is 12.00 CEST, students at for “Liceo Statale Adelaide Cairoli”, Pavia, Italy established ARISS contact with NASA astronaut Sunita Williams KD5PLB onboard the International Space Station. Astronaut Sunita Williams KD5PLB operated with the ISS callsign NA1SS. This was a telebridge contact performed by amateur radio Club station W6SRJ, located in Santa Rosa, California.

The school, founded in 1862 in Pavia, is hosted in the "Palazzo Olevano". In 1870, it was named after Adelaide Cairoli, “the glorious mother of five, fighting for the unification of Italy”. The Institute has kept this name and is famous for its magnificent rooms with frescoes, monumental stairs, stucco, mirrors, full of memories, but also one of the most modern educational facilities, which offers three types of courses (Language High School, High School of Music, School of Humanities and Science). The school offers an extensive cultural background, favors the development of communication skills both in the mother tongue and in foreign languages. It prepares the students for superior studies, helping them to choose the most suitable university course.

ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to the radio contact coordinator a telebridge contact. Mr. Giampietro Ferrario IZ2GOJ, radio contact coordinator, decided in favor of this setup. The contact took place at school, where an audience of about 1000 students, visitors and Media participated to the ARISS contact. Before the link voice with ISS, Mr. Giampietro Ferrario IZ2GOJ presented ARISS program, the operations during an contact with the ISS via Ham Radio, and the life of the astronauts in space. Mr. Giampietro Ferrario IZ2GOJ moderated also the international teleconference established by NASA for this ARISS event.

At 10:00 UTC, contact with NA1SS was established by station W6SRJ. Using the Kenwood radio in the Service Module, Sunita Williams KD5PLB answered 18 questions from the students, exchanged final greetings and closed the contact. During the pass, the signal from the ISS was loud and clear.

Live streaming video was available on:

http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia

Video of the contact is available also here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LuSEIawxUM

ARISS contact was announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMS8DFRI7H_Italy_0.html

Congratulations to the school staff, ARISS Team Lombardia and ARI Erba Team!

Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF

ARISS mentor

Photos on Google