ARISS News Release                                                     No. 22-63

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at West Ferris Intermediate Secondary School, North Bay, Ontario, Canada

November 26, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the West Ferris Intermediate Secondary School located in ON, Canada.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
West Ferris Intermediate Secondary School (with about 1100 students enrolled) is a grade 7 - 12 English public school located in North Bay, Ontario about 350 kilometers north of Toronto on the shores of Lake Nipissing. The school also serves several rural communities in the Nipissing District. Their curriculum offers innovative and diverse programming including French immersion, competitive athletic teams, and fine arts, and is the residence of the city’s STEAM program.  West Ferris students at the intermediate level are supported in a creative science program where problem solving and technological creativity is at the fore. 
Amateur Radio is an important component of the school's Near Space Program in which
students plan and execute stratospheric balloon launches under the guidance of an amateur radio operator/teacher. Students explore the theory and implementation of radio technology through
the use of the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) for payload tracking. Students learn the concepts of wave propagation, polarity, wavelength and frequency and the applications of these concepts. The School’s Near Space Program was started in 2018 with a stratospheric balloon launch in October, another on May 14, 2019, with plans to continue and expand the initiative in coming years. Members of the North Bay Amateur Radio Club (VE3NBC) provide technical support for the launches, an APRS gateway for tracking, and participate in the payload retrieval in chase cars.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Koichi Wakata, amateur radio call sign KI5TMN. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
 
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Aartselaar, Belgium. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign ON4ISS, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for November 28, 2022 at 10:58:45 am EST (ON, CANADA) (15:58:45 UTC, 9:58 am CST, 8:58 am MST, 7:58 am PST).
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Do you feel any changes when you return to Earth?
2. What do you do during your free time?
3. What is your favorite and least favorite food in space?
4. How long did it take to get into space?
5. Why did you decide to become an astronaut?
6. What does your sleep schedule look like?
7. How much food do you consume a day?
8. How do you clean the station?
9. Is it difficult to contact your family while there?
10. When first entering space, do you feel any differences inside your body? For instance, your organs moving?
11. What is the coolest thing you have seen while on station?
12. Are space suits uncomfortable?
13. How long have you been an astronaut?
14. How do you keep your bones from getting weaker in space and how do you restrengthen them after returning?
15. Once in space, how long do you have to be there for?
16. Has there been anything that you weren’t prepared for that you thought you were?
17. How do you deal with an illness in space and have no medication to help the person who is ill?

ARISS News Release                                                               No.  22-62

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Escola Naval (Brazil Navy Academy), Island of Villegagnon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

November 25, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Brazil Navy Academy located in Rio de Janeiro.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Founded in 1792, The Brazil Navy Academy is a higher education military academy which trains officers for the Brazilian Navy. Through a five-year program, the school’s main objective is to graduate marines, logistics and fleet officers for Brazil’s naval service. Training also has included instruction on their training ship “Brasil” during a world-wide tour.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.
 
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is on the Island of Villegagnon in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Amateur radio operators using call sign PY1AX, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for November 28, 2022 at 9:23:41am BRT (Brazil) (12:23:41UTC, 7:23 am EST, 6:23 am CST, 5:23 am MST, 4:23 am PST).
 _____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What are the projections for life on the Moon? Is it going to happen in the near future or is it something far from happening?
2. If there are any, what are the effects of the Theory of Relativity on you on the space station?
3. Have you ever felt the “overview effect”? How does it feel to see everything you know in front of your eyes, without borders, without wars, without religions, just a celestial sphere in the middle of the darkness and emptiness?
4. How do space agencies deal with health complications that might arise when an astronaut returns to Earth after a long period in orbit?
5. What is the most difficult challenge you have encountered in space?
6. What are the short-term and long-term objectives of the station?
7. How do you counteract the side effects of staying in a microgravity environment for a considerable amount of time?
8. The importance of the International Space Station is immeasurable. How do you see it shutting down? And what are the consequences?
9. What is the preparation to work for a long time and to survive in the station?
10. How can the ISS work to reduce the trash left in space?
11. How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) used on the International Space Station and for which purpose?
12. What are the benefits of the ISS for humanity?
13. What experiments are you doing at the moment?
14. What is the procedure if someone has a serious health problem?
15. Have you ever had any contact with the amateur radio community before boarding the ISS?
16. What is the most important thing when you are getting ready for a mission?
17. How does the application process for the space station work and who selects the crew?

ARISS News Release                                                    No.  22-61

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Five Bridges Junior High School, Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada

November 20, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Five Bridges Junior High School located in Stillwater Lake, NS, CAN.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Five Bridge Junior High School is a rural school located in the community of Hubley, just outside Halifax, the Provincial Capital city of Nova Scotia, Canada. Leading up to this ARISS contact, students are learning about space exploration through activities that includes constructing models of planets within our solar system, attending presentations from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, testing and growing of tomato seeds that have previously flown on the ISS, and examining black holes and the origins of the universe. Students are also learning about past lunar landings, the future Artemis program as well as the Gateway program. Local amateur radio operators have also provided students with a series of presentations about amateur radio.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
 
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Casale Monferrato,  Italy. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign IK1SLD, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for November 23, 2022 at 12:52 pm AST (Nova Scotia) (16:52:06 UTC, 11:52 am EST, 10:52 am CST, 9:52 am MST, 8:52 am PST).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.ariotti.com/
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Why did you choose to be an astronaut?
2. What was the best or most interesting part of your training to become an astronaut?
3. What is it like to go through the atmosphere and into space at high speeds for extended periods of time?
4. Does everyone rest at the same time or do you work in shifts?
5. What is a day like for you on the ISS?
6. What do you hope to achieve with your experiments during your mission?
7. How will the use of robotics help Astronauts in the future?
8. What are your hobbies and how do you pursue them on the ISS?
9. What are problems that you have to anticipate/prepare for in space that you would not have to on Earth?
10. What are some common misconceptions about astronauts?
11. How do you celebrate all the diverse nationalities, beliefs and religions while on board the ISS?
12. When the ISS is retired from service in 2030 what will replace it in low earth orbit?
13. What kinds of equipment and materials had to come along for your specific mission?
14. If you weren't an astronaut what job would you have pursued and why?
15. If there was one thing you wanted young people to know about Space and/or Aerospace Programs, what would it be?
16. How will the effects of increasing radiation from the sun affect life on the ISS?
17. For students who are interested in Aerospace, what fields of science or skills do you recommend they explore?
18. How noisy is it in the ISS?

ARISS News Release                                                           No. 22-60

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students in Nine Countries in the Caribbean and Central America and Hosted by St. Joseph´s Convent Secondary School, Castries, Saint Lucia
 
November 19, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students in nine different countries in the Caribbean and Central America.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
St. Joseph´s Convent Secondary School, in Castries, Saint Lucia is hosting this ARISS contact allowing students at 12 schools to contact the ISS. The students have been studying and monitoring natural hazards as viewed from space. The schools involved in this contact are: Colegio Agustiniano Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo in Panama, Escuela La Pradera and Escuela Francisco Gamboa Mora in Costa Rica, St. Nicholas Primary School in Antigua and Barbuda, New Horizons School in the Dominican Republic, John Cumber School and John Gray High School in the Cayman Islands, St. Joseph’s Convent Castries and St. Mary's College in St Lucia, St. Nicholas Primary School in Antigua and Barbuda, Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in St. Kitts and Nevis, and, Grande Riviere Anglican Primary School in Trinidad and Tobago.
 
This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio and students will take turns asking their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
 
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Casale Monferrato, Italy. The amateur radio volunteer team at the station will use the callsign IK1SLD, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for November 22, 2022 at 1:40:36 pm AST (Saint Lucia)
(17:40:36 UTC, 12:40 pm EST, 11:40 am CST, 10:40 am MST, 9:40 am PST).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.ariotti.com
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 1. What is the international space station?
 2. How do you see meteorological events from space and what is it like to be there?
 3. If a hurricane is happening can you see it in space?
 4. How long did you study to become an astronaut?
 5. What do you do in space?
 6. Do you study and measure climate change from space?
 7. When a volcanic eruption happens, can you see the effects from space?
 8. What are the impacts of space hurricanes and does it affect us here on earth?
 9. How close does a meteorite have to pass to affect the Earth?
10. Do other planets have volcanoes?
11. What can I do to make sea levels stop rising?
12. What does the moon look like up close?
13. When does the Sahara sand cross the Atlantic Ocean?
14. Can you see rainbows in space?

ARISS News Release                                                                  No. 22-59

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Harel Educational Campus, Holon, Israel
 
November 2, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Harel Educational Campus located in Holon, Israel.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Harel Educational Campus (Harel) is a six-year boy's school, comprising intermediate through high school levels (class 7 to class 12) and is located in Holon, a suburb of Tel-Aviv. Harel incorporates high spiritual, religious education with studies that include; communication, graphic design, robotics, cinema, computers and literature. The school is sponsoring this ARISS contact in order to inspire their students and boost their curiosity in science.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
 
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Andergrove, Mackay,
Queensland, Australia. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign VK4ISS, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for November 4, 2022 at 11:43:51 am IST (Holon, Israel) (9:43:51 UTC, 5:43 am EDT, 4:43 am CDT, 3:43 am MDT, 2:43 am PDT).
 
_______________________________
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. I know you use animals in research. How many animals do you have in space with you right now and how do you take care of them?
2. Do you practice emergency drills?  Can you describe some of the critical incidents that you need to prepare for?
3. What has been your greatest challenge so far and how did you respond to it?
4. What are the major research projects you are focusing on and what discoveries have you made?
5. What do you think the biggest advances will be in the space program over the next ten years?
6. Have any of the experiments failed or given you totally different results than you expected?
7. Please describe your years of education and training that led to your assignment on the space station.
8. What has been the most exciting part of your mission so far?
9. Can you describe what zero gravity feels like?
10. Have you done a spacewalk and how does it feel?
11. Why should we continue to fund expensive space missions when we have more pressing problems on Earth?
12. How are your experiments helping to save our Earth?
13. Being in a microgravity environment causes a decrease in muscle mass and bone density. Other than exercise, what measures are you taking to protect your health?
14. How many days supplies do you have on board should a resupply mission not come on time?
15. Can you describe the automatic systems on board the ISS to keep you in your current orbit?
16. Do you ever feel sudden vertigo or claustrophobia whilst you are up in space?
17. Can you describe how you get into and leave the ISS without losing any air?
18. How long does it take to prepare for a spacewalk?
19. Does gravity affect time and ageing?
20. What is the most amazing thing you have seen in space?
21. Is the sun more powerful in space?

ARISS News Release                                                                No. 22-58

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Five Bridges Junior High School, Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada

October 24, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Five Bridges Junior High School located in Stillwater Lake, NS, CAN.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Five Bridge Junior High School is a rural school located in the community of Hubley, just outside Halifax, the Provincial Capital city of Nova Scotia, Canada. Leading up to this ARISS contact, students are learning about space exploration through activities that includes constructing models of planets within our solar system, attending presentations from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, testing and growing of tomato seeds that have previously flown on the ISS, and examining black holes and the origins of the universe. Students are also learning about past lunar landings, the future Artemis program as well as the Gateway program. Local amateur radio operators have also provided students with a series of presentations about amateur radio.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
 
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Glenden, Queensland, Australia. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign VK4KHZ, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for October 26, 2022 at 10:44 am ADT (Nova Scotia) (13:44:18UTC, 9:44 am EDT, 8:44 am CDT, 7:44 am MDT, 6:44 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ARISSlive and https://nslive.tv/five-bridges-ariss
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Why did you choose to be an astronaut?
2. What was the best or most interesting part of your training to become an astronaut?
3. What is it like to go through the atmosphere and into space at high speeds for extended periods of time?
4. Does everyone rest at the same time or do you work in shifts?
5. What is a day like for you on the ISS?
6. What do you hope to achieve with your experiments during your mission?
7. How will the use of robotics help Astronauts in the future?
8. What are your hobbies and how do you pursue them on the ISS?
9. What are problems that you have to anticipate/prepare for in space that you would not have to on Earth?
10. What are some common misconceptions about astronauts?
11. How do you celebrate all the diverse nationalities, beliefs and religions while on board the ISS?
12. When the ISS is retired from service in 2030 what will replace it in low earth orbit?
13. What kinds of equipment and materials had to come along for your specific mission?
14. If you weren't an astronaut what job would you have pursued and why?
15. If there was one thing you wanted young people to know about Space and/or Aerospace Programs, what would it be?
16. How will the effects of increasing radiation from the sun affect life on the ISS?
17. For students who are interested in Aerospace, what fields of science or skills do you recommend they explore?
18. How noisy is it in the ISS?

ARISS News Release                                                            No. 22-57

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Canterbury School of Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Florida, USA
 
October 23, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Canterbury School of Fort Myers located in Fort Myers, FL.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Canterbury School is a private, pre-K3 through 12, college preparatory school (about 700 students, ages 3-19 years) in Fort Myers, Florida. Beginning in the fall of the 2021-2022 school year, students in every class, club, and activity have been studying topics of space, rockets, radios, and the ISS. Students in Upper School astronomy, engineering, and robotics have built a satellite tracking antenna that will be used during this contact. And members of Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club (W4LX) are supporting the school by providing students with technical instruction, radio equipment setup and radio operation during the ARISS contact. Then, during the summer of 2022, as students were in the midst of designing and building rover models for Mars and the Moon, they saw the first pictures of Hurricane Ian, as seen from the ISS, bearing down on the coast of Florida. Evacuations were ordered in advance of the catastrophic winds and storm surges, which eventually affected many of the homes of students, faculty, and staff. In the wake of this destruction, it was uncertain whether this ARISS contact could occur. However, if only for a moment of reprieve from their loss and destruction, the entire Canterbury school community, including the school’s staff/faculty, amateur radio operators, students and students’ families, decided to pull together to support this ARISS contact and thereby renew their sense of hope and inspiration in human space exploration.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.
 
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Fort Myers, FL, USA. Amateur radio operators using call sign W4LX, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for October 24, 2022 at 1:36 pm EDT (Fort Myers, FL) (17:36UTC, 12:36 pm CDT, 11:36 am MDT, 10:36 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://vimeo.com/762320321
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Can you make cupcakes in space?
2. How do you not get lost in space?
3. Does the sun look different from the ISS compared to Earth?
4. If you could travel to any planet, which one would you go to?
5. What is your favorite meal in space?
6. Are more women astronauts training to go to the moon?
7. What is the most extraordinary thing you have seen in space?
8. How does space debris affect satellites and the ISS?
9. How old were you when you decided that you wanted to go on the International Space Station?
10. Is it hard to get used to Earth’s gravity after spending so much time on the ISS?
11. What would you say or show to people who are convinced that space and the ISS is a hoax? 
12. What kind of research are you currently working on?
13. Would you be willing to live on the new moon base once it is built?
14. What does it feel like to experience that many g’s of acceleration when taking off from Earth?
15. What do you enjoy doing during your free time on the ISS?
16. What went through your head while blasting off from Earth?

ARISS News Release                                                       No. 22-56

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Chief Whitecap Elementary School, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

October 17, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Chief Whitecap Elementary School located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Chief Whitecap School is a kindergarten to grade 8 school with about 1,030 students. The school operates as a partnership between Whitecap Dakota First Nation and Saskatoon Public Schools, and embodies the vision of provincially mandated curriculum in alignment with Dakota First Nations culture, language, and traditions. To enhance the student’s experience during the ARISS contact, Chief Whitecap School integrated the topic of space through all the core subjects for all grades. Their goal is to raise the student’s appreciation and interest in the science and technology of space exploration as well as give the students an exciting and relevant learning opportunity that will form a life-time memory - talking with an astronaut aboard the ISS.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Josh Cassada, amateur radio call sign KI5CRH. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
 
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Meadow Spring, Australia. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign VK6MJ, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for October 19, 2022 at 11:35 am CST (Saskatoon) (17:35 UTC, 1:35 pm EDT, 12:35 pm CDT, 11:35 am MDT, 10:35 am PDT).
 
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. Who or what was your inspiration to be an astronaut?
2. What subjects do I need to focus on in school if I want to be an astronaut?
3. How long did you train to become an astronaut?
4. What advice would you give to aspiring astronauts?
5. What has been your favorite part of the ISS mission so far?
6. How do you stay connected to your family while you are on the ISS?
7. What is your most favorite meal in space?
8. How do you handle an astronaut getting sick or hurt on the ISS?
9. Besides your family, what do you miss most about being on Earth?
10. How do stars look in space?
11. Have you ever seen any alien lifeform?
12. How much free time do you get while on the ISS?
13. How does the space toilet work?
14. What does microgravity feel like?
15. How would you deal with something happening to the ISS structure?
16. What do you not like about being on the ISS?
17. What has been your scariest moment in space?
18. What is your role on the ISS?
19. How do you sleep in space?
20. What words would you use to describe leaving the earth’s atmosphere?

ARISS News Release                                                    No. 22-55

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Davis Aerospace Technical High School, Detroit, Michigan, USA

October 16, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Davis Aerospace Technical High School located in Detroit, MI. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Detroit Public Schools Community District’s Davis Aerospace Technical High School (Davis HS), founded in 1943, is named in honor of Benjamin O. Davis Jr., the first African American General in the United States Air Force. All Davis HS students in grades 9th through 12th are enrolled in the school’s aviation/aerospace classes, which are designed to prepare them to enter the fields of both aviation and aerospace. The school’s curriculum includes a flight training program allowing students to learn a variety of concepts and regulations related to unmanned and manned flight. Students also can take preparation classes for remote pilot’s certificate and train on state-of-the-art flight simulators, and can participate in a newly re-established Aircraft Maintenance CTE program where they work on aircraft at Colman A. Young City Airport. Located within the Golightly Career and Technical Center, Davis HS’s alumni includes pilots, drone operators, aircraft mechanics, engineers, and others in various high-tech professions. Members of the Hazel Park Amateur Radio Club (W8HP) are supporting the school for this ARISS contact by providing equipment setup assistance and ham radio instruction to students in the school’s newly formed (2021) amateur radio club. Students active in the school’s ham club will be working on their amateur radio FCC license using text books provided by ARRL Great Lakes Division member Dale Williams, WA8EFK. 
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Koichi Wakata, amateur radio call sign KI5TMN. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.
 
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Detroit, MI. Amateur radio operators using call sign W8HP, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for October 18, 2022 at 1:30 pm EDT (Detroit) (17:30 UTC,    12:30 pm CDT, 11:30 am MDT, 10:30 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://youtu.be/Vk_FxTmIek8
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. How much does the ISS orbit decay over time before a correction is required?
2. What are you learning about lightning as a result of the experiments aboard the ISS?
3. How do you scrub the air of ISS of toxins, odors, germs and other contaminates?
4. What does it feel like when you take off in the Rocket?
5. How long will the ISS batteries last without a charge?
6. How much does a space station weigh (on earth) and how large is the space station?
7. Does the ISS use the sun’s radiation for temperature control?
8. How much weight can the space station hold and how long can you stay in space until the oxygen runs out, or do you make your own oxygen?
9. If the batteries are part of the primary power source what is the emergency back-up power supply? How are they powered?
10. Do the solar cells track the sun or does the ISS track the sun to ensure maximum solar cell efficiency?
11. If there is an unexpected decompression of the ISS how do you repair and pressurize the ISS?
12. Are your transmitting antennas stabilized in order to maintain the best quality contact?
13. The Solar Cells produce DC Power. What type of power does the equipment on the ISS operate on?
14. How do you protect equipment and Astronauts from radiation?
15. How do you like the new Radio compared to the old radio?

ARISS News Release                                                              No. 22-54

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Harris Middle School, Spruce Pine, North Carolina, USA

October 8, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at Harris Middle School located in Spruce Pine, NC, USA.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Harris Middle School, a rural public school in Spruce Pine, NC, was founded in 1916 and is one of only two middle schools in Mitchell County serving, 237 students in grades six, seven, and eight. The school incorporated amateur radio related studies and activities into their existing STEM curriculum prior to this ARISS contact. This included satellite communications (frequency Doppler affects), building UHF/VHF yagi antennas, and building an amateur satellite communication station. Students studied mathematical relationships of radio wave properties, and gravity of orbiting bodies. Courses incorporated topics that included space exploration, the solar system, and Earth’s weather system. Students also learned more about the history of the ISS, and the affects of living in space. For this ARISS contact, the school partnered with the College Foundation of Western North Carolina for the establishment of the school’s amateur radio satellite station.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Bob Hines, amateur radio call sign KI5RQT. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station.
 
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Spruce Pine, NC. Amateur radio operators using call sign K4CF, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for October 11, 2022 at 11:00:45 am EDT (Spruce Pine, NC) (15:00:45UTC, 10:00 am CDT, 9:00 am MDT, 8:00 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.facebook.com/mitchellcountyschools
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:

1) What inspired you to become an astronaut and what has been your most challenging part of your journey?
2) If an astronaut is sick or injured, how are they treated? How would he or she get back to Earth in an emergency?
3) Are all the astronauts on the ISS on the same sleep and work schedule or are there different shifts?
4) How many crew members do you have on board?
5) When you finish your mission on the ISS, would you like to be a part of the Artemis program or even go to Mars?
6) Does the ISS have an escape vehicle and have you ever had to use it?
7) If you had to give advice to a future astronaut about something they should know that training did not prepare them for, what would you tell them?
8) What is your educational background or field of study?
9) How do you maintain adequate nutrition and fitness while being on board the ISS?
10) What will you miss the most while being in Space?  What food item not available on the ISS will you miss the most?
11) How do you celebrate birthdays and holidays on the ISS?
12) How do you stay in touch with your family?
13) How do the astronauts wash their hair without getting water everywhere?
14) Are you or anyone else up there doing research on any diseases that affect humans?  Are you aware of any research in space that has helped to understand, treat, or cure a disease?
15) What is your favorite space-themed movie?
16)  How long have you been involved in the space program and how long have you been on the ISS?
17)  How long have you been a ham and what do you enjoy about it?