Friday 17 January 2014, ARISS contact planned with school in France

An International Space Station educational radio contact has been planned Friday January 17 with participants at College Les Gondoliers, La Roche sur Yon, France. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 09.51 UTC, which is 10.51 CEWT.

This will be a direct radio contact between OR4ISS and F6KUF/p. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

Downlink signals will be audible in Europe on 145.800MHz FM.

Presentation:

The college Les Gondoliers, with its 500 pupils, aged 11-15, is located in Vendee, 70 km south of the city of Nantes, birthplace of Jules Verne, the renown author. At the end of the curriculum, the pupils take an exam called "Diplome national du Brevet".

Our Astronomy Club has resumed its activities this year with the objective to enter in contact with the ISS. The starting point has been the visit of the exhibition “Voyages planetaires” (Planetary spaceflights), in Nantes, during the International Planetary Science Congress. Several astronomy and amateur radio activities are organized, with the support of the amateur radio society of Vendee. Operators present their activities and set up the station needed to contact the ISS.

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

1. Alice (14): How do you make a difference between your day and night?

2. Camille (15): How does it feel living in zero gravity?

3. Lucien (14): How many hours of exercise do you do per day?

4. Thomas (16): What was the subject of the last scientific experiment you carried out?

5. Shawana (14): Do you get news from your family and how often?

6. Valentin (15): Which time zone do you use?

7. Oscar (14): Are there any diseases specifically related to space?

8. Bastien (15): Do you have any problems with your balance?

9. Terry (15): How does space sickness show itself?

10. Lison (13): What educational qualifications are needed to join the crew of the ISS?

11. Andréa (14): How many hours do you sleep per day?

12. Sébastien (14): How did your family and friends feel about you leaving?

13. Martin (13): How many hours do you work per day?

14. Adeline (13): Can you sense your direction of travel in the ISS?

15. Axel (13): Does your stay in the ISS seem long?

16. Luc (14): How do you renew your reserves of oxygen on board?

17. Maxime (13): Do you have individual menus at mealtimes?

18. Jule (13): Does zero gravity have any ill effects on your blood circulation?

19. Clément (13): How do you move around when you are outside?

20. Alexandre (13): Can you go outside just for pleasure?

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-Europe chairman