ARISS News Release                                                                                  No. 21-14
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at
Newcastle High School, Newcastle, Wyoming, USA
 
February 27, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio between the ISS and students from Newcastle High School. Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS astronaut Mike Hopkins, amateur radio call sign KF5LJG, during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz. Since the first ARISS contact on December 21, 2000, this will be the first ARISS-sponsored contact to a Wyoming school.
 
ARISS team member David Payne, using call sign NA7V in Portland, OR will serve as the relay amateur radio station. Each student asking a question will be conferenced in from home or social-distanced at school.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for March 1, 2021 at 9:20 am MST (Newcastle, WY) (16:20 UTC, 11:20 pm EST, 10:20 am CST, 8:20 am PST).
 
Newcastle High School (grades 9 – 12) is a rural, public school, and part of the Weston County Public School District, which serves students (grades K-12, ages 5-18) in communities in the county in northeastern Wyoming. Newcastle HS offers college preparatory courses, a concurrent/dual enrollment college class program as well as a vocational-technical training program. Newcastle HS’s amateur radio club includes activities that allow students to learn how to operate ham radios and build antennas with curriculum tie-in to the school’s mathematics and science classes. Student activities (involving students in grades K-12) prior to the ARISS contact were designed to increase awareness and interest in amateur radio, and STEM education, and to foster an appreciation for STEM in a student’s future career choices. The school has partnered with members of the North East Wyoming Amateur Radio Association (NE7WY) who will provide technical support during this contact.
 
ARISS invites the public to view the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at https://youtu.be/qdQlKQK5mT4 .
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. How long did it take you to fully adjust to being on the ISS?
2. What effects have you experienced from zero gravity?
3. What do you folks do for fun? Boardgames?  Play catch in space?
4. What is the most interesting thing you have seen on a spacewalk?
5. What happens when you fly into the South Atlantic Anomaly?
6. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in space?
7. What types of organisms do you grow or use in space?
8. I am asking a question for our 2nd grade class. How big is the International Space Station and what is inside? Are there bedrooms, gym, kitchen?
9. Is it weird not being able to experience night and day the same as you would on earth?
10. What research is currently being conducted? Is it biological?
11. Have you ever lost something on a spacewalk?
12. Since Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome can affect mission success, does the research currently being conducted on the retina of mice take priority over other experiments?
13. What is the weirdest solution to a problem that you have tried that actually worked?
14. What is the most dangerous aspect about living and working in space?
15. What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

 ARISS News Release                                                                                  No.   21-13  
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled for
Students at Estes Park Elementary School, Estes Park, Colorado, USA
 
February 23, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be a multipoint telebridge contact via amateur radio between students from the Estes Park Elementary School following Covid guidelines and Astronaut Shannon Walker, amateur radio call sign KD5DXB. Students will take turns asking their questions.  The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.
 
Amateur radio operators, using the call sign N0FH in Estes Park, CO, will serve as the relay amateur radio station. English is the language expected to be used during the contact.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for February 26, 2021 at 10:09 am MST (Estes Park, CO), 17:09 UTC, 12:09 pm EST, 11:09 am CST and 9:09 am PST).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://youtu.be/AnPkH2eJM-A
 
Estes Park Elementary School (EPES) (about 480 students, grades pre-K – 5) is a rural, public school located at the base of the Rocky Mountain National Park. In preparation for the ARISS contact, the school’s 5th grade students (about 80 students) have participated in a year-long Space Exploration unit of study. However, the opportunity to view the ARISS contact will be a district-wide and community event, including all 1,140 students in the public school district. The school partners with the Estes Park Memorial Observatory (EPMO), which is also part of the school’s campus. EPMO provides facilities for their volunteers to conduct lectures regarding the basics of astronomy and features of planets, nebula and galaxies that the students or visitors will be observing online and when they can move to the dome for hands-on viewing. EPES implemented a variety of STEM-based cross-curricular topics/activities that included Introduction to Amateur Radio. Members of the Estes Valley Amateur Radio Club (N0FH) and retired Astronaut Loren Shriver have been an integral part of these activities; allowing the students to follow SpaceX Expedition 64, the ISS crew members, as well as the mission progress of the Mars Rover, Perseverance. The amateur radio club members will partner with the observatory and the elementary school to assist with the ARISS contact.
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What happens when it's your birthday in Space?
2. After using VR goggles to explore the ISS here in school, we wonder if you have VR goggles up there to "visit" Earth, for example if you were homesick?
3. Why don't they let kids in space?
4. How do capsules, satellites, or cargo "attach" to the ISS so people and supplies can come aboard and leave?
5. What kind of data is the ISS collecting on the sun?
6. How has COVID-19 affected you/your trip to space?
7. Have you ever had any unexplained sightings or communication while on the ISS?
8. What are your personal goals for your time in space?
9. What made you want to go to space?
10. What is your favorite research experiment that is currently being conducted on the ISS, and what data are you hoping to obtain from it?
11. What information have you gathered from studying animals (such as ants or bees) on the ISS? Have they ever gotten out?
12. Have you made up any new game to play that only works in space?
13. How do you drive/control the ISS?
14. Can you tell us about a time that you were scared or worried while in space?
15. What happens if you get seriously sick or injured on the ISS?
16. What's the farthest away someone has gone on a spacewalk?
17. Do you have designated people to perform experiments on the ISS, or does everyone take part of that?
18. What is the most awesome sight that you have seen on Earth, or in space, from the ISS?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Continuous Amateur Radio Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

ARISS News Release                                                                                    No.   21-12  
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled for Students at John F. Kennedy High School, Denver, Colorado, USA
 
February 20, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be a telebridge contact via amateur radio and students from John F. Kennedy High School in Denver, CO, following Covid guidelines. Students will take turns asking their questions of Astronaut Mike Hopkins, amateur radio call sign KF5LJG during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ.
 
ARISS team member David Payne, using call sign NA7V in Portland, OR will serve as the relay amateur radio station.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for February 24, 2021 at 11:41 am MST (Denver, CO), (18:41 UTC, 1:41 pm EST, 12:41 pm CST, and 10:41 am PST).
 
John F. Kennedy High School (about 900 students) is a public school in urban, southwest Denver. JFK HS offers Advanced Placement Courses and Concurrent Enrollment Courses that help students to earn college credit and industry certification in high school. During the 2019-20 year, the Engineering program at JFK HS was awarded a first-of-its-kind JFK Space Lab presented by Raytheon to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11. The Space Lab allowed students in the school’s Engineering program to explore the ISS-above cameras, observe real-time space walks, explore amateur radio, and engineering communications. The school’s partnership with Raytheon, and using the Space Lab materials, enabled JFK HS students to engage in a STEM curriculum that included activities/topics that were applicable to space engineering, specifically to the ISS. These activities included, building a solar and hydrogen fuel cell car (and how it could be applied to the ISS); Bioengineering (growing plants in space); and solar-system modeling. STEM courses also included hands-on kit-building activities related to amateur radio and antenna-building and radio direction-finding. The school also partnered with members of the Rocky Mountain Ham Radio group and the Cherry Creek Young Amateur Radio Club who instructed/mentored students on the use of radio communications using amateur radio.
 
The public is invited to watch the livestream at: https://youtu.be/1RgszX0npbQ
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. How do you find time to do personal hygiene when you are so busy doing research and experiments?
2. Does a carbonated beverage, once opened, on the ISS stay carbonated for the same amount of time as it does on earth?
3. We recently learned that each astronaut eagerly awaits a special package from earth, What is it that you look forward to most?
4. Are there any environmental sensors like weather, fire, soil, ocean that you monitor or track as part of your daily work?
5. What is the most physically demanding task you have to do in space?
6. What was going through your head when you first found out you were chosen for the mission to the ISS?
7. How comfortable are the new space suits.  What is your favorite new feature of the space suit?
8. Do you have to monitor/ration your water while in space? 
9. Have you ever had to perform a medical procedure or administer first aid to another astronaut?
10. How do you relieve stress when on the space station?
11. When you are sleeping in your bag do you feel like you are floating or do you anchor yourself down?  Is this comfortable?
12. When in space, do you take special precautions regarding safety during a space walk?
13. Did your training accurately prepare you for the stresses of launch?
14. What is your preferred form of exercise on earth & is it something you can continue to do on the ISS?
15. How long did it take you to get used to the bathroom facilities and procedures on the ISS? What was the hardest part?
16. If there was one plant you could grow in the International Space Station what would it be and why?
17. Have you ever had a malfunction with your space suit? What did you do?
18. How has COVID-19 changed your space travel?
19. When will it be possible for astronauts to be able to live off of the food that they grow in space?
20. If you could create a more comfortable sleeping quarters what is the one thing you would change?
21. How much of the water on the ISS goes to the plants?
22. What was the most important thing you learned in school that has helped you as an astronaut?
23. Do the astronauts eat meals and do other non-work activities together?
24. Has there ever been a time when you collected data from a sensor that helped an emergency situation on Earth?
25. How does it feel to breathe while you are wearing your pressurized suit?
26. Are there any of your favorite foods that don’t do well in microgravity and you miss eating while you are in space?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                               
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

ARISS News Release                                                                               No. 21-11
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at
Bishop Guertin High School, Nashua, New Hampshire, USA
 
February 15, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio between the ISS and students from Bishop Guertin High School. Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS astronaut Shannon Walker, amateur radio call sign KD5DXB, during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.  
 
ARISS team member Fred Kemmerer, using his call sign AB1OC in New Hampshire, will serve as the relay amateur radio station. Each student asking a question on the ARISS radio will be conferenced in from home. English is the language expected to be used during the contact. 
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for February 19, 2021 at 12:56 pm EST (Nashua, NH) (17:56 UTC, 11:56 am CST, 10:56 am MST, 9:56 am PST).
 
View the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at: https://youtu.be/0-Dsel4_7gM
 
Bishop Guertin High School (about 800 students) is a private college preparatory Catholic high school that educates students from over 40 communities in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The school’s core curriculum includes a variety of STEM topics for all grades (9-12). The school also supports STEM-related extracurricular activities as student-organized clubs (Astronomy, STEM, Robotics, 3-D Printing). In preparation for the ARISS contact, their science core classes (and the STEM clubs) also included topics/activities that helped students learn about space exploration, life in space, and the importance of the ISS-related research and radio communications. Over the past four years, Bishop Guertin students collaborated with members of Nashua Area Radio Society (NARS, holding club call N1FD) and participated in a variety of the student STEM activities. These activities included: learning about radio communication, building Morse-code kits for Morse code practice and message sending, and launching/tracking two high-altitude balloons. Students later formally presented the collected balloon data to NARS. These activities, along with mentoring from NARS members, inspired a number of the students to eventually earn their ham radio licenses. NARS will also assist the school with the ARISS contact.
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What landmark on Earth looks the most amazing from space?
2. What day to day task is most challenging in space?
3. What inspired you to become an astronaut?
4. What experiments are you currently working on?
5. Can you share with us what you like best about being in space?
6. What does a typical day look like for you?
7. What is something new you learned in space?
8. What did you bring from Earth to remind you of home?
9. What part of space travel is most exciting for you?
10. Does being in zero gravity feel like floating in water?
11. What are some recent discoveries the ISS has made from the experiments conducted in space?
12. Upon returning to Earth, how do you plan to re-adjust to gravity?
13. What are your thoughts as you prepare for lift off?
14. As an experienced astronaut, what advice would you give to a new astronaut heading to the ISS?
15. How do you treat injuries or illnesses in space?
16. Do you have a favorite space food?
17. What is the most unusual thing you have seen in space?
18. What part of your training was most challenging?
19. What happens to your tears in space?
20. How do the sun and stars look different in space than on Earth?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.
 

ARISS News Release                                                                No. 21-10
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Red Hill Lutheran School, Tustin, California USA
 
February 8, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be an ARISS radio telebridge contact between the ISS and students from Red Hill Lutheran School in Tustin, CA. Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS astronaut Mike Hopkins, amateur radio call sign KF5LJG, during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.  
 
ARISS team member David Payne, using call sign NA7V in Portland, OR will serve as the relay amateur radio station. Each student asking a question on the ARISS radio will be at school following Covid-prevention guidelines.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for February 10, 2021 at 10:26 am PST (Tustin, CA) (18:26 UTC, 11:26 am MST, 12:26 pm CST, 1:26 pm EST).
 
Red Hill Lutheran School is a school with 345 students, grades K-8, with all of the students participating in the school’s STEAM program. During the year prior to this ARISS contact the school integrated their STEM classes with Space-related content. The classes were developed to stimulate student interest in the wonders of Space, teach new academic content, and inspire an interest in STEM careers. Faculty also provided hands-on learning activities designed to motivate students and inspire their curiosity in space exploration. Some of these included: building a space station; activities on aeronautics and space flight; and, taking part in the Space Seeds program. Lessons on amateur radio operation and satellites are also provided by ARISS volunteers and those school staff who are licensed amateur radio operators. 
 
View the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at https://youtu.be/rhfWvzOtnQM .
 
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What kind of science do you do in space?
2. If animals could go to the space station with you which animal would you bring and why?
3. What was the hardest thing you had to do while training to be an astronaut?
4. How does your body feel when you are floating in space?
5. What is your favorite room in the ISS?
6. Who is one person that you are grateful for and why?
7. Why did the crew select baby Yoda to float around the spacecraft at launch?
8. If there happened to be a fire on the ISS, would the fire float? If so, would a fire extinguisher work to set out the fire?
9. What are your goals for space exploration?
10. What is going through your mind when taking off?
11. When back on earth, what do you miss most about space and how long does it take to re-adapt?
12. Does space feel like a second home to you?
13. What's your favorite food in space?
14. What do you do for fun in space?
15. What was the best experience you had in space?
16. How do you know when it is time to wake up and when it is time to go to sleep?
17. If you went back in time to talk to your younger self to prepare for something in space, what would it be?
18. While training for missions are there any sports that helped you prepare?
19. When you were young, did you dream of flying a space shuttle?
20. What was your first thought when you looked back at Earth from the ISS?
21. What inspired you to pursue being an astronaut and what steps did you take?
22. Do you get disoriented on the space station?
23. What has been your most dangerous mission in space?
24. When you go to space, are there things you value more on earth?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

ARISS News Release                                                                       No. 21-09
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Loudoun County Public Schools, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
 
February 8, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio between the ISS and students in the Loudoun County Public School system (Sterling Middle School in Ashburn, VA as lead). Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS astronaut Shannon Walker, amateur radio call sign KD5DXB, during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.  
 
The ARISS team using call sign ON4ISS in Aartselaar, Belgium will serve at the ARISS relay amateur radio station. Each student asking a question on the ARISS radio will be conferenced in from home or social-distanced at school.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for February 9, 2021 at 9:44 am EST (Ashburn, VA) (14:44 UTC, 8:44 am CST, 7:44 am MST, 6:44 am PST).
 
Three public schools in the Loudoun County Public School system will be participating in the ARISS contact: Sterling Middle School (host school) (1,098 students, grades 6-8), Guilford Elementary School (580 students, grades PreK-5), and Sterling Elementary School (475 students, grades PreK-5). Their STEM curricula include classes in Coding, Robotics, Science, and Math. Specifically, 6th grade students learn about Astronomy and have been eagerly following various developments at NASA, including the Artemis Mission. The 6th grade class had participated in a successful, medium-altitude balloon launch sponsored by one of the school’s STEM partners, the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The students learned how to track the balloon’s amateur radio payload up the East Coast to Newfoundland. The other STEM partners include, the Loudoun Amateur Radio Group and Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club. Members of these ham radio groups provide presentations to students about radio communication, antennas, satellite tracking, and radio theory of operation. Sterling Middle School allows students to participate in project-based learning (PBL), and prior to the ARISS contact, all students have participated in cross-curricular STEM PBL with a common driving question, “How can humans safely live on Mars?” 
 
View the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at: https://youtu.be/qVhBweqjCo4      
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What kind of training do you have to complete to become an astronaut?
2. How do astronauts stay healthy in space?
3. What made you want to become an astronaut?
4. What is your daily routine like?
5. Do the sun, stars, sunrises and sunsets look different from the ISS compared to Earth?
6. How does your “ship” get you back down to Earth?
7. What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you in space?
8. How do you feel emotionally and physically while in the rocket on your way to the ISS and on your way back?
9. What was your reaction when you found out you were chosen to go to the ISS?
10. When you return to Earth, how long does it take for you to be able to walk again? Do you experience any other side effects of being in zero gravity for extended time?
11. How do you eat and drink in space without spilling and damaging your equipment?
12. What do you like to do for fun in space?
13. Are you able to bring your phones and other personal items with you to the ISS?
14. When you come back to Earth, what will be your first meal?
15. What do astronauts do if you fall sick in space?
16. How does it feel to be inside the ISS all the time? Does the environment (temperature, humidity) inside the ISS fluctuate?
17. If you weren’t an astronaut, what job would you have?
18. How does it feel to experience 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day?
19. How do you train to be in low gravity places?
20. What do you eat while in space? What is your favorite food?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

ARISS News Release                                                                     No. 21-08
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at The Ottawa Carleton Virtual Online School, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

February 4, 2021— Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).

This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio between the ISS and students from Ottawa Carleton District School Board. Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS astronaut Mike Hopkins, amateur radio call sign KF5LJG, during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz. 

ARISS team member Fred Kemmerer, using his call sign AB1OC in New Hampshire, will serve as the relay amateur radio station. Each student asking a question on the ARISS radio will be conferenced in from home. English is the language expected to be used during the contact. 

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for February 5, 2021 at 12:41 pm EST (Ottawa, Canada) (17:41 UTC, 11:41 am CST, 10:41 am MST, 9:41 am PST).

The Ottawa Carleton Virtual Online School provides approximately 300 minutes of daily, instructor-led, online classes for students in Ottawa. Each class provides 20 to 25 students learning opportunities through synchronous and asynchronous learning by using either Virtual Learning Environment or Google Classroom learning management systems. Seventeen classes will participate in this ARISS contact.

View the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ery1JYmk72o .
_____________________________
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1.  How does it fell to see the sun, Earth, moon and stars from space?
2. Do you think extraterrestrial beings exist?
3. Has anything scared you in space and if so how did you deal with it?
4. How long does it take to come back to earth from the International Space Station?
5. What is the coolest thing you have seen while in space?
6. How can you tell if it’s day or night?
7. What is a dangerous threat that could happen on the ISS, and what could you do to solve it?
8. What is the most frightening thing you have ever seen in space?
9. What experiments are you doing now on the ISS?
10. What is the biggest challenge in space?
11. How long did you have to train to become an astronaut?
12. What are the steps involved in leaving the rocket and entering Space Station?
13. Are there any cold or hot planets that have been discovered and not revealed to the world?
14. How long can you breathe in a space suit outside the space station?
15. What happens if there is a fire on the International Space Station?
16. Is COVID 19 a concern for astronauts?
17. What is it like to come back to Earth after being in Space for months at a time?


ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR                                                                      
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

ARISS News Release                                                                       No. 21-07       
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Message to US Educators
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
Contact Opportunity
 
Call for Proposals
New Proposal Window is February 15th, 2021 to March 31st, 2021
 
February 2, 2021 --- The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS.  ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.
 
The deadline to submit a proposal is March 31st, 2021.  Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on February 25th, 2021 at 8 PM ET.  The Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-spring-2021.eventbrite.com
 
The Opportunity
Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session.
 
An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact.
 
Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. 
 
Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education@gmail.com .
 
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.

ARISS News Release                                                                                                   No. 21-06
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

ARISS Operations Situation
January 28, 2021

 All,

Today was a tough one for ARISS.  Let me explain.

As you all know, an EVA (spacewalk) was conducted yesterday to install cabling on the exterior of Columbus to support the commissioning of the Bartolomeo attached payload capability mounted on the Columbus module.  On January 26, prior to the EVA, our Columbus next generation radio system was shut off and the ISS-internal coaxial cable to the antenna was disconnected from the ARISS radio as a safety precaution for the EVA.  During the EVA, our current external antenna coaxial cable, installed in 2009, was replaced with another one built by ESA/Airbus with four RF connectors included, as compared to the current 2 RF connections.  This change was made to allow ESA to connect ARISS and 3 additional customers to Bartolomeo, as compared to ARISS and one additional RF customer.   As you might have seen yesterday, the EVA was conducted and our cable connection was swapped out.  This morning, the crew restarted the radio system.  Not hearing any Voice Repeater reports, we requested a switch to APRS packet.  We still did not hear any downlink reports.  At 1746 UTC we had a planned ARISS school contact between our certified telebridge station ON4ISS, operated by Jan in Belgium, and Mike Hopkins on ISS.  No downlink signal was heard during the contact.  The crew radioed down “no joy” on the contact about halfway through the contact and the Newcastle High School, Newcastle Wyoming, USA contact attempt ended.   

 Clearly, there is an issue.  More troubleshooting will be required.  It may be the new external RF cable that was installed during yesterday’s EVA.  It might also be from the connect and disconnect of the interior coaxial (RF) cable.  So the interior cable cannot not be totally discounted yet.  The crew took pictures of the coaxial cable and connector attached to the ARISS radio inside the ISS.  Because the exterior cable is a Bartolomeo cable and not an ARISS cable, we are working with ESA and NASA on a way forward.  NASA has opened a Payload Anomaly Report on this issue.  We have talked to both the NASA and ESA representatives.  These are the same folks that worked with us on previous ARISS hardware systems as well as the ESA Bartolomeo integration initiative.  We have also asked our Russian team lead, Sergey Samburov, if we can temporarily use the radio in the Service Module for school contacts until we are able to resolve this issue.  As we gather more information, we will share it with you.
 
On behalf of the ARISS International Board, the Delegates and the entire team, I want to thank all of you for your tremendous volunteer support to ARISS.  We WILL get through this and be more resilient as a result.
 
73, Frank
--------------------------------------------
Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS-USA Executive Director
ARISS International Chair
ISS Ham Radio Program Manager & PI
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Continuous Amateur Radio Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR

ARISS News Release                                                                                        No. 21-05
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at
Newcastle High School, Newcastle, Wyoming, USA
 
January 26, 2021—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio between the ISS and students from Newcastle High School. Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS astronaut Mike Hopkins, amateur radio call sign KF5LJG, during the ARISS radio contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.  Since the first ARISS contact on December 21, 2000, this will be the first ARISS-sponsored contact to a Wyoming school.
 
The ARISS team in Aartselaar, Belgium will use call sign ON4ISS to serve as the ARISS relay amateur radio ground station.  Each student asking a question will be conferenced in from home or social-distanced at school.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for January 28, 2021 at 10:46 am MST (Newcastle, WY) (17:46 UTC, 12:46 pm EST, 11:46 am CST, 9:46 am PST).
 
Newcastle High School (grades 9 – 12) is a rural, public school, and part of the Weston County Public School District, which serves students (grades K-12, ages 5-18) in communities in the county in northeastern Wyoming. Newcastle HS offers college preparatory courses, a concurrent/dual enrollment college class program as well as a vocational-technical training program. Newcastle HS’s amateur radio club includes activities that allow students to learn how to operate ham radios and build antennas with curriculum tie-in to the school’s mathematics and science classes. Student activities (involving students in grades K-12) prior to the ARISS contact were designed to increase awareness and interest in amateur radio, and STEM education, and to foster an appreciation for STEM in a student’s future career choices. The school has partnered with members of the North East Wyoming Amateur Radio Association (NE7WY) who will provide technical support during this contact.
 
ARISS invites the public to view the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at    https://youtu.be/J2EYvX27Ujo .
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. How long did it take you to fully adjust to being on the ISS?
2. What effects have you experienced from zero gravity?
3. What do you folks do for fun? Boardgames?  Play catch in space?
4. What is the most interesting thing you have seen on a spacewalk?
5. What happens when you fly into the South Atlantic Anomaly?
6. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in space?
7. What types of organisms do you grow or use in space?
8. I am asking a question for our 2nd grade class. How big is the International Space Station and what is inside? Are there bedrooms, gym, kitchen?
9. Is it weird not being able to experience night and day the same as you would on earth?
10. What research is currently being conducted? Is it biological?
11. Have you ever lost something on a spacewalk?
12. Since Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome can affect mission success, does the research currently being conducted on the retina of mice take priority over other experiments?
13. What is the weirdest solution to a problem that you have tried that actually worked?
14. What is the most dangerous aspect about living and working in space?
15. What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far?
 
ARISS – Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS
 
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS).  In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org.
 
Media Contact:
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.