Thursday April 25, ARISS contact with school in Nunavut, Canada. Downlink audible in Europe.

An International Space Station school contact is scheduled with participants at Maani Ulujuk High School, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. Astronaut will be Chris Hadfield KC5RNJ/VA3OOG. The event is to begin at approximately 14:34:36 UTC, which is 16:34:36 CEST.

The contact will be a telebridge operated by IK1SLD, located in North Italy. Interested parties in Europe are invited to listen to dowlink signals on 145.800 MHz FM.

School presentation:

Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI) is located in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut (Population Approximately 3000) on the North west side of Hudson Bay.  It is one of three schools in the Rankin Inlet system and hosts grades 7 – 12.  The current Maani Ulujuk building is approximately 32 years old and is the second of two buildings with the same name; the first being destroyed by fire.  MUI was named after an Elder( Maani Ulujuk),  who at the time of its naming, was the oldest elder in the community. There are 353 students, 24 teachers, 6 Student Support Assistants, 1 Secretary, 1 School Community Counsellor and 2 caretakers. 

Even though we don’t have a space club, we do have a vibrant Science program which hosts a science fair annually and students have been exposed to the space program in the curriculum.  Students and staff were excited last year when we were slated to do a space hookup in April; however, it did get cancelled and we are pleased that it is on again for this year.

Students at MUI are great young leaders and they love to participate in novel events such as contacting the astronauts on the Space Station.  This will be an awesome event and we look forward to participating.

Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1. Is it different breathing on Space Station than on earth?

2. How many toilets are on space station and how long does it take to train to use them?

3. What do you eat and can you eat everything you do on earth?

4. How long did you train to become an Astronaut?

5. What do you wear daily and does your Space Suit need to be near in case of emergencies?

6. How long did it take you to travel to Space Station and is coming back the same?

7. How many people are on board with you and what is the most amount of people at one time?

8. How long will you be on Space Station and how long could you stay?

9. How do you wash and how often?

10. How fast is the Space Station travelling and can you feel it?

11. Can you see the Northern Lights from up there?

12. Do you see sunsets and sunrises?

13. What's the coolest or most interesting thing you have seen so far?

14. How often do you contact Family and/or Friends?

15. Will you ever go back into Space after this mission?

16. Did you have fun singing with the Bare-naked Ladies Band?

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