ARISS Event - Georgia Tech

Due to some last minute schedule changes related to the upcoming space walk, the Itaki contact has been cancelled for Jan 19. The following is the information for the Georgia Tech contact which is still scheduled.

(UPDATED)
An International Space Station's Expedition 12 ARISS school contact has been planned with students at the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology - Aerospace Engineering Dept, Atlanta, GA, USA on Thursday, 19 January 2006. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 15:05 UTC.

The contact will be direct between stations NA1SS and W4AQL. The Georgia Tech contact should be audible to any in the Southeastern region of the USA.
Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

The Georgia Institute of Technology, established in 1885, is one of the preeminent engineering educational and research institutions in the United States. The Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering was founded in 1930 on a grant from the Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of
Aeronautics. The current faculty advisor for the Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club is Dr. Paul Steffes, W8ZI, who is also a collaborator in a variety of interplanetary missions, including the recent Cassini mission to Saturn.

Students at Georgia Tech will ask as many of the following questions as time allows:

1. What has been your favorite experiment in space?
2. How does the docking/undocking system of the ISS work?
3. What are some of the scientific benefits of continuing the ISS program, and how does the ISS help bring us closer to our goals of revisiting the moon and reaching Mars?
4. Are there any messy astronauts who leave clothing and dirty dishes around the station?
5. How do you "ground" the electrical systems and interior surfaces of a spacecraft in the absence of "earth potential" in order to make surfaces safe for human contact?
6. Have you discovered any crew dynamic issues that should be explored further in a terrestrial analogue setting?
7. What do you miss most about life in gravity?
8. What happens if a fire occurs?
9. What has been your greatest contribution to exploration during this mission?
10. What entertainment do you have on the ISS?
11. How far can the EVA tether be stretched, and what is it made of? 12. How do you prepare mentally to live for months on the ISS with only one other person?
13. Does viewing the earth from space change your perspective?
14. Are there any manufacturing processes that are so efficient in zero-gravity that a space factory could be justified?
15. Does the enormity of space cause you any anxiety during EVAs, and if so, how do you cope with it?
16. How do you relax during your small amount of free time?
17. How do you use the bathroom?
18. What is the biggest challenge you've faced during this mission?

Please note, the amateur radio equipment on the ISS will be turned off prior to the beginning of the contact. It will be returned to service as quickly as possible after that event. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact

Next planned event(s):
Riverhead Central School District - Aquebogue School, Aquebogue, NY, USA,
Tue Jan 24 18:48 UTC
Cadet Ham Radio Club, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA,
Thu Jan 26 13:13 UTC

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.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).

Thank you & 73,
Kenneth - N5VHO

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