DOUBLE CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT
SAMANTHA CRISTOFORETTI, IZ0UDF WITH THREE SCHOOLS IN ITALY.
Friday, January 9, 2015 at 10:10
UTC, 11:10 local time and at 11:45 UTC, 12:45 local time, students at "Scuola Santa Teresa del Bambino Gesu" in Roma,
students at "Istituto Salesiano
Villa Sora" in Frascati
and students at "Scuola Pontificia
Pio IX" in Roma, Italy established two
ARISS contacts with ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti,
IZ0UDF onboard the International Space Station. These were direct/telebridge contacts performed by Amateur radio ground
stations IK0USO, located at "Scuola Santa Teresa
del Bambino Gesu" in Rome, and IW0CZC, located
at "Istituto Salesiano
Villa Sora" in Frascati,
and via telebridge station IK1SLD for "Scuola Pontificia Pio IX" in Rome.
Scuola Santa Teresa del Bambino Gesu
The school Santa Teresa del Bambino
Gesu is a catholic primary school in Rome,
established to answer to the needs and demands for Catholic education by the
local population. The school belongs to the Congregation of Missionary Carmelitane Sisters of Saint Therese of Jesus Child. The
school is open to families that take care of the religious education and
formation of their children. Preparation for the ISS radio contact has been
underway for a long time, including educational projects on different
scientific topics to support the special event.
Istituto Salesiano Villa Sora
Villa Sora
is located on the side of the ancient Roman boulevard
(now Via Tuscolana) in an area known as Tusculanus ager, which is full of sumptuous villas,
including those of Cicero, Lucullus and Sulpicius
Galba. This villa was built as a country house in the same grounds of Lucullus`
villa in the mid-16th century and it was originally known as Torricella. The earliest documentation of its
history dates back to 1546, when the Chapel of Sancta Sanctorum of Rome owned
the villa. The land currently measures over 6 acres and includes, in addition
to the house and the school, a large park with several building lots.
The school of Villa Sora has a notable historical tradition. Since 1925,
it has a primary school and a liceo classico. The liceo scientifico was founded in 1966 and in 1986 its admission
was opened to girls. In 1989, the middle school was created, and finally,
in 2011, a new liceo economico
sociale was founded. The middle school now has 200
students divided in three classes. The liceo classico has 180 students, the liceo
scientifico 280 and the liceo
economico sociale 80, for a
total of 740 students.
Pontificia Scuola Pio
IX was founded in 1859 by Pope Pius IX. It is an institute of a reknown tradition in Education, and it is based on the idea
of educating students globally. It hosts both Roman Catholic students and
students of different faiths, beliefs and religions. It is situated near the Vatican but most of the students come from
neighboring districts which have a younger population. The students come from
different social classes and there are also students from different countries.
It offers the following courses:
Nursery School
Primary school
Secondary school
(Scientific and Human Science)
The school has got modern equipment
and spaces constantly used to achieve its
cultural goals and objectives. The school syllabus includes projects of international
breath to stimulate the students and their citizenship. The school from its
origins contemplates innovation and tradition.
Mentor Francesco De Paolis IK0WGF proposed to the radio coordinators Mr.
Marcelo Teruel IK0USO, Mr. Srefano
Castriotta IW0CZC and Mr. Emanuele
D'Andria I0ELE the sharing of events and this was
accepted. A phone conference call allowed the full sharing of the events
between all the contact sites involved, coordinated by Mr. Claudio Ariotti, IK1SLD. The sequence of questions was made
alternately by the students at three contact sites involved.
Contact was established at 10:10
UTC, 11:10 local time with IR0ISS via IW0CZC. Mr. Stefano Castriotta
IW0CZC proposed to astronaut continue the contact during the following orbit.
ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF agreed. During the first scheduled
contact Cristoforetti answered 8 questions from
students.
Samantha Cristoforetti
was really very accurate in giving the answers and full of details.
At 11:45 UTC, 12:45 local time,
contact was established again with IR0ISS.
During the second random contact Cristoforetti answered 12 questions from students, exchanged greetings
and closed the contact.
Signals from the ISS were good
during both ISS passes, but suffering a few moments of fading.
The first contact established with
IR0ISS was live on national radio broadcast RADIO RAI3 SCIENZA, coordinated by
Mr. Andra Borgnino IW0HK.
Both contacts were recorded by
national television, RAI Parliament, for a special on AMSAT Italia and ARISS
school contacts.
Regional and Local Televisions and
newspapers covered the event also.
About 700 students, parents,
visitors and media attended the events at contact sites.
Streaming video on:
http://www.livestream.com/amsat_italia
The event was announced on ESA
Portal - National News:
Congratulations to IK0USO, IW0CZC
and IK1SLD teams!
73
Francesco De Paolis,
IK0WGF
ARISS Mentor