The International Space Station

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ARISS event -
Scout Pack #304 and Blackland Prairie Elementary, Round Rock, Texas, USA

An International Space Station Expedition 17 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants from the Round Rock Texas Scout Pack #304 and Blackland Prairie Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas on 04 July. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 16:32 UTC.

The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and W5KA. The contact should be audible over central North America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

Cub Scout Pack 304 consists of about 50 boys, most of whom are students at Blackland Prairie Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas. The pack and the school are participating in this contact as a joint educational project. The project reinforces what the Cubs have been learning in their Science class, and enables them to earn some of the requirements for their "Scientist" activity badge in Scouting. The Cub's radio station has been set up at the school.

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

The contact is expected to be conducted by astronaut Greg Chamitoff KD5PKZ

1. Were you afraid to travel into space?
2. How do you sleep onboard the Space Station with no gravity?
3. Would you go to the moon if you had the opportunity?
4. Are you weightless all the time in the Space Station?
5. How much training is required to be an astronaut?

6. How does it feel to be so far away from Earth?
7. Do you think there is intelligent alien life, and if so, why?
8. What school subjects helped you most in becoming an astronaut?
9. What do you do in your spare time in space?
10. What suggestions do you have for kids as they prepare for thefuture?

11. What impact will the shuttle missions have on future space missions?
12. How do you get privacy on the Space Station?
13. Would you like to go to Mars, and if so, why?
14. How did you feel when you first saw Earth from space?
15. What fears, if any, have you conquered in space, and how?

16. How are your senses affected in space?
17. What high school subjects that you thought would be useless have ended up being valuable?
18. Would you be able to walk on Earth if you did not exercise in space?
19. What types of experiments do you conduct on the Space Station?
20. Despite your training, was there anything that surprised you in space?
21: What is the hardest part of staying in space so long?

Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact.
Packet is transmitted on 145.825 simplex.

Next planned event(s):
National Agriculture Museum, Ottawa, Canada via telebridge W6SRJ, Wed 2008-07-09 15:14 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