ISS Commander Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ

Astronaut Jeffrey Williams participates in Marconi Commemoration from ISS

On Thursday, 7 January 2010 at 09:00 UTC, an ARISS contact was established between University of Rome 'Tor Vergata' and NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams KD5TVQ onboard the International Space Station.

The radio contact with the ISS was performed by the ARISS telebridge ground station W6SRJ, located in Santa Rosa Junior College, California, USA.

'Tor Vergata' University of Rome commemorated the Nobel Prize for Physics offered to Guglielmo Marconi in 1909. A group of the students of 'Tor Vergata' University and 'Enrico Fermi' Middle School of Monteporzio Catone had prepared questions.

At 09:00 UTC contact with NA1SS was established by station W6SRJ. Astronaut Jeffrey Williams KD5TVQ answered 11 questions. He said how much the ISS crew appreciates the ARISS school contacts as well as the contribution of the amateur radio community to the promotion of technical and scientific studies among the youth.

After the sequence of the questions by students, Princess Elettra Marconi, the daughter of Guglielmo Marconi and Mr. Dieter Isakeit, ESA ESRIN Corporate Communication Office & Communication and Knowledge Department, sent greetings to the ISS crew.

At the "Tor Vergata" University Conference Center in Villa Mondragone at Monteporzio Catone, near Rome, an audience of more than 200 students, teachers, visitors and media followed the contact.

After the contact, ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF presented the ARISS activities to the audience. The event was commented by Mr. Augusto Cramarossa, Italian Space Agency, Head of Strategy, National and International, also by Mr. Massimo Pucini, Deputy Mayor of Moteporzio Catone town, and by Mrs. Marina Ruggeri, Director Departement of Electronics Engineering University "Tor Vergata".

Local Media and newspapers covered the event. The audio was distributed by echolink.

Congratulations to University "Tor Vergata" staff and AMSAT Italy team!

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.

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Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF

ARISS mentor