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

Upcoming ARISS contact with R T Alderman, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at R T Alderman, Calgary, Alberta, Canada on 28 September. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 20:43 UTC.

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

The contact will be direct between NA1SS and VE6JBJ. The contact should be audible over portions of western Canada. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

In preparation for the radio contact with the international space station, teachers at R.T. Alderman Middle School have been speaking with their students about what constitutes a "powerful question". Students have been asked to generate questions that are both thought-provoking and open-ended. Students then submit their questions for the competition to see who will be selected for the contact.

After the radio contact, which involves every student in the school, core teachers will provide opportunities for students to debrief in class. Further, a series of assignments are being developed to reflect both the Alberta curricula and the radio contact experience. Everything from journal entries, computer research projects, skits, and other writing assignments will be required class work in the weeks following the contact. Some teachers are also considering having students design a mural to commemorate this occasion as a companion to the already existing Robert Thirsk mural in one of the stairwells.

Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA

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

1. Have you discovered any signs of life in Space?
2. How does it feel when you leave Earth during take-off and re-entry?
3. How was the ISS constructed and how long did it take?
4. How do you stay fit and healthy in the Space Station?
5. Are there personal items that you brought with you
into Space?

6. What is the best part of working with people from other countries?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an astronaut while on Earth or in Space?
8. When you decided you wanted to be an Astronaut what training and education did you have to do?
9. Have you ever experienced an emergency or crisis while in Space?
10.How has this mission impacted your relationship with your family?

11.What music do you listen to up there, if any?
12.How long do you typically sleep for, in a 24 hour period?
13.How do you spend a typical day on board the ISS?
14.When you went to RTA did you ever wish you could travel into Space?
15.What is the distance from Earth that you orbit, and does this vary?

16.Do members of the crew typically gain or lose weight during the 6 month mission and does that effect your preparations before you leave?
17.What physical and emotional stressors do you experience?
18.What is required to prepare for a 6 month mission in space?
19.Have there been any experiments in space where the outcome surprised you?

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

Next planned event(s):

Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência Viva, Lisbon, Portugal, Thu, 01 Oct 09 14:20 UTC

University of Liege, Liege, Belgium, Fri, 02 Oct 09 13:09 UTC

Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado "Alighieri - Trevigi" I-15033, Casale Monferrato, Prov. Alessandria, Italy, Fri, 02 Oct 09 14:46 UTC

Boy Scouts of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Sat, 03 Oct 09 18:07 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 & 73,

David - AA4KN