The International Space Station is seen from space shuttle Discovery during the STS-119 mission

Upcoming ARISS contact with Vrij Technisch Instituut Sint-Lucas, Oudenaarde,
Oost - Vlaanderen, Belgium

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Vrij Technisch Instituut Sint-Lucas, Oudenaarde, Oost - Vlaanderen, Belgium, on 22 Sep.

The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:47 UTC.The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The contact will be direct between OR4ISS and ON4OB.
The contact should be audible over eastern Europe.
Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in Dutch.

Oudenaarde is situated 45km (30miles) west of Brussels and has about 30.000 inhabitants. It is situated in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes, with gently rolling hills and countryside, loved by walkers and cyclists alike.

VTI Sint-Lucas is a secondary technical school for pupils aged between 12 and 19 years old. It offers technical or vocational studies, such as industrial science, electricity-electronics, electro-mechanics, carpentry, central heating, construction .. We are proud of our school's motto: "With a heart for the person and technology".

Our school has about 540 pupils, mainly boys. Under the enthusiastic leadership of Patriek De Temmerman, our school has been working on this project for a whole school year. It was the central theme of our School Open Day. Space and the ISS were linked to many courses. Through designing and developing our own hardware and software, such as the cross yagi antenna and the transmitting equipment.we hope to make youngsters enthusiastic for technique and technology

Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne will speak to students from space

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

1. Waarom komt het ISS nooit in een baan boven de poolgebieden?
Why does the ISS never orbit above the polar regions?

2. Hoe koud is het in de ruimte?
How cold is it in space?

3. Zijn de zonnepanelen aan boord van het ISS ook toepasbaar op aarde?
Can the solar panels on the
ISS be used on earth as well?

4. Wat gebeurt er als jullie ziek zijn?
What happens if you are seriously ill?

5. Ruimtevaart veroorzaakt een bepaalde milieuschade. Hoe kan ruimte-onderzoek deze impact verantwoorden?
Launching into space causes some environmental damage. Are there ways that space research can justify such environmental impacts?

6. Is er bij jullie dag en nacht?
Do you have night and day?

7. Waarin verschilt onze eigen ontworpen cross yagi antenne met het type antenne van het ISS?
What is the difference between our self-made cross yagi antenna and the type of antenna on ISS?

8. Welke Belgische experimenten voeren jullie uit?
Which specific Belgian experiments do you conduct?

9. Welke natuurverschijnselen op aarde kan je vanuit de ruimte waarnemen?
Which natural phenomena on earth can you observe from space?

10. Hoe wordt de temperatuur geregeld in het ISS?
How is temperature controlled in the ISS?

11. Hoe 'vindt u de weg' in de ruimte?
How do you find your way in space?

12. Zijn er geluiden in de ruimte?
Is there sound in space?

13. Waar halen jullie je water voor dagelijks gebruik vandaan?
Where do you get water for daily consumption?

14. Wat voor ontspanning heeft u in het ruimtestation?
What kind of entertainment do you have on the ISS?

15. Hoe wordt elektriciteit opgewekt in het ISS?
How do you produce electricity for the ISS?

16. Welk gevaar vormt ruimteafval voor het ISS?
How dangerous is space junk for the ISS?

17. Kan je de actualiteit volgen?
Can you keep up to date with the news?

18. Waarom zweeft het materiaal, dat je tijdens een ruimtewandeling verliest, weg?
Why do materials and tools float away in space, when you lose them during a spacewalk?

19. Op welke manier slapen jullie daar?
How do you sleep there?

20. Is jullie zintuigelijke waarneming hetzelfde als op aarde?
Are your sensory perceptions there the same as they are on earth?

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

Next planned event(s):
1. HMS Beagle Project, Brazil, Tue 22 Sep 09 18:20 UTC
2. Cedarview Middle School, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Thu 24 Sep 09 19:07 UTC
3. WHEELS Idaho Historical Museum (Garfield Elementary), Boise, ID Thu 24 Sep 09 20:34 UTC
4. Houya Elementary School, Nishitokyo, Japan, Sat 26 Sep 09 09:28 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.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).

Thank you and 73,

David - AA4KN