ARISS News Release                                                                                       No.   20-16    
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact Scheduled for Students at Avellaneda Ikastetxea, Sodupe, Spain
 
September 15, 2020—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 will take turns asking their questions of ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR. John Sygo, amateur radio call sign ZS6JON in Paardekraal, South Africa will serve as the ARISS relay amateur radio ground station.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for September 18, 2020 at 2:56 pm CEST (Sodupe), (12:56 UTC, 08:56 am EDT, 07:56 am CDT, 06:56 am MDT and 05:56 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMDcOZOF2FE&feature=youtu.be
 
The school, Avellaneda Ikastetxea (with about 650 students), is in the small town of Sodupe in northern Spain. The school coordinated with 15 other schools on STEM-based curriculum that includes a STEM mentoring program with Deusto University. First through sixth grade students will participate in the ARISS contact, and have and will prepare for the contact during STEM sessions with learning objectives that include space, gravity, matter, energy and other related topics.
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What did you want to be when you were young?
2. What made you think that you wanted to be an astronaut?  Was it your dream?
3. How long does it take from the Earth to Space?
4. How do you feel when you leave the Earth?
5. When you are in space, what do you carry with you in the rocket?  What things do you need?
6. How much time do you spend in space before returning to Earth?
7. What is concretely the objective of your mission?
8. If you are ill, who can help you?
9. Is the space suit comfortable?
10. How do you cook in space?
11. What type of food do you eat?  Do you like it?
12. What is the first thing you'll do when you get back?
13. What do you do in your free time?
14. Is there pollution in space?
15. How many astronauts are there in your space-station?
 
 
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.   20-15    
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact Scheduled for Students at College Raymond Sirot, Gueux, France
 
September 8, 2020—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 will take turns asking their questions of ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR. ARISS telebridge operator Tony Hutchison, call sign VK5ZAI, will relay the ARISS contact via his ham radio ground station in Pinks Beach, Australia.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for September 10, 2020 at 10:17 pm CEST (Gueux) (08:17 UTC, 4:17 am EDT, 3:17 am CDT, 2:17 am MDT and 1:17 am PDT).
 
The school selected for the telebridge ARISS school contact is College Raymond Sirot or Raymond Sirot Middle School (with about 600 students ages 11 to 15) in the small town of Gueux. It is a rural school located in the northeastern area of France, about 100 miles northeast of Paris. The school teaches students a wide range of subjects including technology, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and the arts. 
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. Why did you choose this job?
2. How long did it take to get ready for this mission?
3. What were your feelings when you left the Earth?
4. What was the first thing you did when you got on board the ISS?
5. What are the main objectives of your mission?
6. What are the goals of the experiments made in the ISS?
7. How are you supplied during your mission?
8. How do you get enough water? Do you recycle it?
9. What do you do if an astronaut gets sick on the ISS?
10. How does it feel to witness 16 sunsets and sunrises in one day and therefore, how do you make the difference between night and day?
11. What is the most difficult task of daily life to achieve in weightlessness?
12. Is it difficult to wash yourself? To go to the toilet?
13. What do you do when you have some free time?
14. What is the most difficult thing you have to deal with in the ISS? Being far from your family? Fearing a technical problem? Living close to each other?
15. Do you think that humankind will be able to colonize other planets one day?
16. Since your very first mission, have you noticed any changes on the Earth?
17. What is your best memory in space?
18. What is your worst memory in space?
19. Have you ever been afraid for your life during a space mission?
20. Have you ever observed strange phenomena from the ISS?
 
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.   20-13      
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
First Element of ARISS Next Generation (Next-Gen) Radio System
Installed in ISS Columbus Module
 
September 2, 2020—The ARISS team is pleased to announce that set up and installation of the first element of our next generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.
 
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.99 MHz with an access tone of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.
 
The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV) system.
 
A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian Service module. This second system enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure. 
 
Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut training. Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi,” that is just beginning the design phase.  The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV operations. 
 
ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of generous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals. Donations to the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments, operations, education, and administration are welcome -- please go to https://www.ariss.org/donate.html to contribute to these efforts.
 
ARISS--Celebrating 20 years of continuous amateur radio operations on the ISS!
 
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.   20-14     
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact Scheduled for Students at KMO Kolska Wyspa, Koło, Poland
 
September 01, 2020—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 ARISS event will be a telebridge contact via amateur radio and students will take turns asking their questions of ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR. Martin Diggins, amateur radio call sign VK6MJ, in Australia will serve as the relay amateur radio ground station.
 
The ARISS contact is scheduled for September 2, 2020 at 2:58 pm CEST in Kolo (12:58 pm UTC, 8:58 am EDT, 7:58 am CDT, 6:58 am MDT and 5:58 am PDT).
 
Several educational groups have been selected for the ARISS school contact.
 
The Klub Młodych Odkrywców (KMO) Kolska Wyspa is a club of teen explorers, which was founded in June 2013 and youth have taken part in educational programs in cooperation with the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw. The club is involved in the MoonKAM and the EarthKAM missions. In cooperation with 12 other clubs of teen explorers in Poland, KMO Kolska Wyspa promoted these missions with an exhibition called "The Earth from the Sky.”
 
Also invited to the ARISS contact are students from the Adam Mickiewicz Primary School No. 2, which has 120 students ages 12 to 15, and Kazimierz Wielki Secondary School, which has 90 students ages 16 to 19. Both schools are in Koło. The first offers students the opportunity to take part in many space-related activities and the second school is famous for the construction of robots.
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What do you do when you get ill or injured?
2. How long did you train before flying into space?
3. What kind of fun activities can you do in the state of microgravity?
4. What kind of food do you eat and is it tasty?
5. As fizzy drinks are forbidden in space because of CO2, so what time and how are you going to celebrate the New Year on the ISS?
6. Do you use any watches and clocks on the station?
7. What do you dream about most of all when you are in space?
8. What kind of spacesuits do you use in outer space?
9. What do astronauts feel when a spaceship docks to the ISS?
10. Is it true that flights in the Crew Dragon are more comfortable than those in the Space Shuttles?
11. What is the effect of space flight on your body?
12. Do you keep in touch with your family or friends on Earth when you are in space?
13. What is the range of temperature inside and outside of the ISS?
14. What do you do in your free time in space?
15. How often do you clean the ISS and why is it so important?
16. Where do you have more appetite on Earth or in space?
17. What kind of books do you read in space?
18. What kind of research are you doing in space right now?
19. What kind of robots do you use in space and what are their applications?
20. How many times can you see fireworks on Earth to celebrate the New Year’s Eve around the World?
 
 
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.   20-12      
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact Scheduled for Students, Faculty at i-Educate Conference,
Hosted by Queensland Government Department of Education, Brisbane, Australia
 
August 20, 2020—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 will take turns asking their questions of ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR. There will be a live closed video link, and 500 educators tied into the conference will watch the students. Fred Kemmerer, call sign AB1OC, in New Hampshire (USA) will serve as the relay ground station. Shane Lynd, call sign VK4KHZ in Australia will be the moderator. Bob Pitman, call sign VK4DA in Australia will distribute live audio via Echolink *HAM*  69556, IRLP 9556, and AllStar 48820 49903.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for August 24, 2020 at 7:32 pm in Brisbane (09:32 UTC, 5:32 am EDT, 4:32 am CDT, 03:32 am MDT and 02:32 am PDT).
 
This contact is in conjunction with the online i-Educate 2020 Conference sponsored by the Department of Education, Queensland Government in Brisbane, Australia. The purpose of the weeklong conference is for school digital leaders to present interactive solutions in online workshop settings to demonstrate to educators and school staff how to enrich technology-learning outcomes in classrooms and increase STEM availability awareness in schools.    
_____________________________ .
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What was the main ambition or reason for going to the ISS in the first place?
2. What was it like see space for the first time?
3. Do you ever have arguments?
4. Did you have any issues (personal, technical) whilst flying up towards the ISS?
5. Was your childhood dream being a pilot and this is the progression, or did you always dream of going into space?
6. What mindset do you need to have to be an astronaut?
7. How did you become interested in being an astronaut?
8. Circa what year do you predict space hotels will be physically possible to achieve? And do you think these space stations are the first steps towards developing said hotels?
9. When you are in space, you orbit the Earth incredibly fast. Because of this, has your perception of time changed since being in space? If so, how is it different?
10. How do you keep personal hygiene up to standards e.g. how you go for a shower/bath, toilet, and shaving?
11. Have you had a life threatening experience on the space station?
12. How does it feel to be isolated in space, knowing there isn’t anyone else around you except yourself and fellow crew mates?
13. During your launch windows there have been several technical delays, how do you deal with the build-up and then let down of your emotions in these events?
14. What will you miss the most about life on the ISS when you return to Earth?
15. You were a Navy Seal, what brought you across to NASA and spaceflight?
16. What is it like going on a spacewalk for the first time?
17. How do you maintain a positive mindset and good mental health in space, for example with the global pandemic of COVID-19 how are you coping with being such a distance away from the people you love and care about?
18. What were your emotions during lift off?
 
 
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.   20-11      
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with
Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY
 
August 17, 2020—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 direct contact via amateur radio between students at the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center in Vestal, NY and ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR. Kopernik’s amateur radio station K2ZRO will serve as the relay ground station for this contact. Students at their homes will be taking turns asking Cassidy their questions.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for August 19, 2020 at 2:21 pm EDT (18:21 pm UTC, 1:21 pm CDT, 12:21 pm MDT and 11:21 am PDT).
The Kopernik Observatory & Science Center is a non-profit informal educational institution that promotes interdisciplinary education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The center offers strong STEM-based summer camp experiences for students between 2nd and 12th grades. Amateur Radio has been integrated into four previous summer camps where middle and high school students designed and built a weather balloon payload with three high-definition video cameras and temperature monitoring instrumentation along with an amateur radio APRS tracking system. The payloads were successfully recovered and allowed the students to examine recorded videos along with temperature data and tracking history.
 
ARISS invites the public to view the livestream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact and to watch pre-programming 20 minutes beforehand; the livestream is at:
https://youtu.be/1Pwcc2rilz0    
_____________________________ .
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. Are there any germs in space?
2. Could you see the launch of Perseverance or fireworks from the ISS?
3. Do astronauts carry smartphones with them in the ISS?
4. What sort of people work with astronauts?
5. What is the temperature like in the space station and outside?
6. How long have you been on the ISS?
7. Becoming an astronaut is an amazing life goal and accomplishment. What do you think you are going to do next?
8. If the ISS is traveling at over 17,000 miles per hour, it would seem very hard for ships to dock with it. It’s hard enough to hit a ping pong ball going 10 mph! How do scientists and astronauts plan and execute these dockings?
9. Do astronauts work on experiments from scientists from different countries?
10. What are your views of Earth from the space station? What else do you see when you look out?
11. How do you do liquid science experiments when you are working in space?
12. What happens when you have to sneeze while on a spacewalk?
13. Do you have seats that you sit in and how do you stay in it?
14. How do you chose what experiments you do?
15. Kopernik is in Upstate New York. Did Doug Hurley tell you lots about our area?
16. What do astronauts do in their free time?
17. How long did you have to train to become an astronaut?
18. If there is one, what does sunset look like in space?
19. When did you get interested in space?
20. Who inspired you to be an astronaut?  What qualities did they demonstrate that you most admire? 
21. I’m interested in growing plants in space. Have astronauts found that certain plants are easier to grow in zero gravity environments? If so, which ones? And why do we think some plants are easier to grow than others?
22. Do the different countries that go to the ISS have a spot just for them in different areas? 
23. What is your most important job aboard the space station?
24. What do you do if you get sick?
 
 
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.   20-10      
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
SSTV Event Scheduled for early August
 
August 03, 2020 — A Slow Scan TV (SSTV) event is scheduled from the International Space Station (ISS) for early August. Date and times for the event are Aug 4 (12:25-18:10 UTC) for setup and operation and Aug 5 (08:15-18:25 UTC) for operation and close down. This is an MAI-75 experiment activity developed by the Moscow Aviation Institute.
 
Images will be downlinked at 145.8 MHz and the expected SSTV mode of operation is PD 120. Radio enthusiasts participating in the event can post and view images on the ARISS SSTV Gallery at https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/ .
 
 
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 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.   20-09      
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled for
American School of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 
July 26, 2020—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 radio contact will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio developed for distance learning when worldwide education institutions closed due to COVID-19. ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR, will support the ARISS radio contact.
 
The ARISS telebridge radio ground station--a ham radio satellite station with special equipment for teleconferencing--will be operated by ARISS team member Jan Poppeliers, using amateur radio call sign ON4ISS. He will be social distanced at an AMSAT Belgium club station in Aartselaar. Cassidy will be at the ARISS ham radio station on the ISS and each youth will tie in from home. Students will be taking turns asking Cassidy their questions. School staff and the public can watch the livestreamed action from their own homes.
 
The youth taking part in this ARISS contact are students from American School of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for July 30, 2020 at 13:41 BRT (16:41 UTC, 12:41 EDT, 11:41 CDT, 10:41 MDT, 09:41 PDT). The 1,200 students at this co-educational college-prep school have access to nine science labs and a MakerSpace. Youth comes from 30 nations; the schools has a 70/30 percent mix of local to non-local students.  
 
ARISS invites the public to view the livestream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at: https://youtu.be/MSyfzEHYwrE  
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. Has the Corona virus pandemic affected the safety protocols aboard the ISS in any way?
2. How do you exercise in space so you keep your muscles and bones active?
3. Has your goal always been getting into space since you were a child or did you have different interests when you were a child?
4. Do you support a football team, and if so, how do you follow them from space?
5. What are some of the most memorable moments you've had since becoming an astronaut?
6. Since the date we visited the moon in 1969 we have made multiple trips to space in which we had learned a lot about it, what would you consider to be the next step for humans in space exploration?
7. How does sound differ in space from on earth, are there any big differences in what you hear or is it the same?
8. What was the worst accident that happened in the international space station, and how was it dealt with?
9. What is it like to reach escape velocity? Were you scared that your spacecraft would explode during the take off? If so, how did you handle this fear?
10. After being in zero gravity for so long in space what is it like to return to gravity?
11. How long does the training take to become an astronaut on the ISS?
12. Does the absence of gravity make it harder to eat and drink certain foods in space?
13. Are there essentials you or other crewmembers take to the ISS apart from food and water, such as certain materials to run experiments or personal items?
14. How do satellites and spaceships make their way through the space debris safely? Is the ISS doing something to minimize space debris?
15. What is your opinion on the human race striving to become a multi-planetary species?
 
 
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 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. 20-08                                                           
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR                                                                                                       
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled for Don Bosco Technisch en Beroepsonderwijs in Haacht, Belgium
 
July 3, 2020—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for another social-distanced ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and astronauts with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
This radio contact will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio, developed for distance learning while worldwide education institutions are closed due to COVID-19. ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, amateur radio call sign KF5KDR, will support the ARISS radio contact.
 
The ARISS telebridge radio ground station, a ham radio satellite station with special equipment for teleconferencing, will be operated by ARISS team member Fred Kemmerer using his amateur radio call sign AB1OC. He will be social distanced at his home ham radio station in Hollis, NH. Cassidy will be at the ARISS ham radio station on the ISS and each youth will tie in from home. Students take turns asking Cassidy their questions. School staff and the public can watch the livestreamed action from their own homes.
 
The youth taking part in this ARISS contact are from Don Bosco Haacht Technisch en Beroepsonderwijs in Haacht, Belgium. The radio contact is scheduled for July 10, 2020 at 12:49 CEST (10:49 UTC, 06:49 EDT, 05:49 CDT, 04:49 MDT, 03:49 PDT). Prior to COVID-19, student opportunities for study included telecommunications, electronics, physics, amateur astronomy and other STEM projects, and the local ham radio group set up a school ham club using the call sign ON1DB.  
 
ARISS invites the public to view the livestream of the ARISS radio contact at: https://youtu.be/zj6gkCtKAwg    
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. How can you tell time? Does day and night exist in the space station?
2. What are the difficulties in space in putting clothes on?
3. Why would you go outside the ISS? How many of you can leave at the same time?
4. What anthropogenic influences or manmade structures on earth can you observe from space?
5. Are you allowed to go back to earth immediately in case of a family related emergency?
6. Is it possible to drink sparkling water on board of the ISS?
7. What kind of experiments do you do in space and do they sometimes include animals?
8. Why would the ISS change its course and how fast can it do that?
9. Have you ever had any problems with oxygen, pressure or fire on board and how can you solve such problems?
10. What do you do when you have free time?
11. How did you feel when you took off?
12. How do the quality and duration of your sleep in the ISS differ from what you are used to on Earth?
13. Are you continuously being monitored when you are in the ISS?
14. Do you think extraterrestrial organisms exist?
15. Is SpaceX changing the way of life in the ISS?
16. For how long can you stay in the ISS?
17. Does the air in the ISS feel humid or warm? Has it any odor to it?
18. What personal belongings do you bring with you to the ISS?
19. Can you see other satellites orbiting the earth?
20. What do you do with laundry and trash on board of 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), such as the ISS National Lab, NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN), and the European Space Agency (ESA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, 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
aa4kn@amsat.org       
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter – search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status.                                                                              

ARISS News Release                              No. 20-07                                                                     
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR                                                                                                       
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS’s James Anthony “Tony” Hutchison
Bestowed the Member of the Order of Australia Medal
 
June 20, 2020—Well-known ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) team member James Anthony (Tony) Hutchison, VK5ZAI, has been awarded the prestigious Member of the Order of Australia medal.
 
Tony was named on June 8 in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. In speaking with Queen Elizabeth II about the recipients receiving medals, Australia’s Governor-General said,
 
“This list recognises a group of outstanding Australians who have made a contribution to their community, to Australia globally or domestically.”
 
Tony’s official citation called out his dedicated service to amateur radio, particularly in amateur satellites and amateur radio space communication. Years back, Tony developed and installed a telebridge radio ground station to support scheduled ham radio communications between astronauts in space and students in schools. His telebridge ground station consists of an amateur (ham) radio satellite station with special equipment and tracking antennas. To speak with astronauts who have amateur radio licenses, the students connect via a Verizon conference line from their school to the telebridge station, and then with the astronaut using ham radio. The astronauts supporting scheduled ARISS contacts use the ARISS radios on the International Space Station (ISS).
 
Tony leads all ARISS educational contact initiatives performed in Australia, also. People all over the world regard him very highly for his efforts to give students the opportunity to be inspired in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) by talking to an astronaut in space. Tony’s engaging personality, infectious enthusiasm and outstanding professionalism are also highly praised by the many astronauts who have employed Tony and his station over the years. A number of news outlets have written stories featuring Tony’s ham radio volunteering, including the Australian Broadcast Corporation. His response to the multitude of congratulatory notes he received reflected his typical modesty. He wrote,
 
“Although I received the honour, I would like to share it with all team members I work with. If it wasn’t for the work that all the ARISS-International volunteers do, this award would never have been given.”
 
Tony initially got involved in human spaceflight ham radio contacts with crew members on the Russian space station Mir. Mir operations included international cosmonauts and NASA astronauts as part of the Mir-ISS collaboration effort. As the international space agencies transitioned to operations on ISS, Tony focused his efforts on ARISS. He has helped 65 ARISS schools prepare for ARISS contacts and used his ham radio telebridge station for 58 ARISS education contacts throughout the world.  
 
The investiture ceremony for Tony and others bestowed the Order of Australia medal will be at Government House in Adelaide in the fall, after gatherings are safer to hold.
 
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 and NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, 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
aa4kn@amsat.org       
                                                                              
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter – search on Amateur Radio On The ISS and @ARISS_status.