Upcoming ARISS contact with Riley Ave. School, Calverton, New York

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Riley Ave. School, Calverton, New York on 2 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 17:43 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The contact will be direct between NA1SS and W2EEO.
The contact should be audible over the east coast of the US and Canada. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

The Students at the Riley Ave. Elementary school, Calverton, NY have been preparing for their contact with the International Space Station. This Riverhead Central School District school has grades Kindergarten thru 4th Grade. Science units on space and the solar system have peaked interest and informed these young students. The school wide literary program, "Parents as Reading Partners" have used the theme Space to keep interest high. Art classes have been making posters. The music program has included special songs for the youngest grades.

Every child in every school in the Riverhead School District will be able to hear the contact live, via VOIP . After the contact, there will be a school dance to celebrate the 10 students lucky enough to speak live to the astronauts.

Jesse Greenberg, a fourth grader, and newly licensed ham, W2EEO, will be the control operator while the members of the Peconic Amateur Radio Club provide radios, expertise and time for this once in a life-time event.

ISS Commander Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ

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

1. How does it feel when you come back to Earth's gravity, how long does it take to get used to walking on the earth?
2. What do you do for fun in space?
3. Can you wash your clothes in space or do you ever have to?
4. If you are in a wheel chair, can you go into space?
5. What is the coolest experiment you ever did?

6. Is making fire possible in space?
7. If the power went out, do you have a back up system?
8. How do you get the pieces of the space station off the shuttle and on to the space station?
9. As we approach the end of the shuttle era, access to the station will be drastically limited. What do you feel our country needs to do to assure the access to space?
10. What efforts are taken by the space program to limit emissions and do you recycle the products that you use?

11. What's the best, worst and funniest that happened to you in space?
12. Is it hard to get dressed in space & how long does it take?
13. Is there static in space?
14. Can you mix sugar in your tea or does it float away?
15. What happens if you get a toothache or appendicitis?

16. What would you do if there was a hazardous chemical reaction on the space station?
17. How hard is it to put the components of the space station together in zero gravity?
18. Have you seen any other planets besides earth?
19. Are you testing any new prototype equipment that may be used by the public in the future?
20. What is your experience with re-entry and how does it feel?

Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact.

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 on-board 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.

Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).

Thank you & 73,

David - AA4KN