With Discovery’s final trip earlier this week the ISS has been in the news again so I was interested to see this earlier today, received via John G0DET. Hopefully I’ll remember it’s happening and attempt to tune-in.
An ARISS School Contact is scheduled Saturday 12 March at 13:34 UTC (14.34 CEWT) for Shri Krishna Vithyaalayam Matric School, Pollachi (TK), India
The school is located in rural part of Tamilnadu state in India. The school has got a global partnership program with Westborough school in UK.
Mr.M.K.Anantha Ganesan, the founder and the Principal visited The Westborough school in September 2009. He is an amateur radio operator (VU3GPF). He visited the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society and is made a honorary member. Anamalai Amateur Radio Club functions from our school.
The contact will be a telebridge, operated by IK1SLD.
Downlink signals will be audible over Europe on 145.800 MHz FM.
The conversation will be conducted in English. Students will ask as many of following questions as time allows.
- How many space walks are allowed and what purpose do space walks serve?
- How long the astronauts have to undergo the endurance tests?
- What type of food is taken by the astronauts?
- How far the Chandra x-ray observatory is useful in studying exotic phenomenon?
- What new construction is taking place in the ISS?
- What kind of scientific and technological experiments are undertaken by the astronauts?
- Please tell us about the emotional change that you undergo while spending moths together in space?
- Could you please tell us if the space junk will hamper space travel?
- What are your first impressions on seeing the mother earth for the first time from space?
- What steps have been initiated to reduce the impact of radiation exposure to the astronauts?
- What functions have been assigned to the Robonaut?
- Can you explain the term microgravity and how astronauts cope with that?
- What is your message to humanity as a whole and the students like us from India?
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.
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
ARISS Chairman
Thanks to SEARS Canvey Island for the Co-op with India.
John G8DET CARS.