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.
 

ARISS News Release                                                                                 No. 21-03
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at
Maine Regional School Unit #21, Kennebunk, Maine, USA
 
January 19, 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 Maine Regional School Unit #21 (MRSU21). 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.  
 
The ARISS team in Casale Monferrato, Italy will use call sign IK1SLD 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 21, 2021 at 1:27 pm EST (Kennebunk, ME) (18:27 UTC, 12:27 pm CST, 11:27 am MST, 10:27 am PST).
 
ARISS invites the public to view the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at: https://youtu.be/LN70OpJFMgs. 
 
The MRSU21 includes three elementary schools (with about 512 students, ages 8 – 11) on the southern coast of Maine. These are the Sea Road School in Kennebunk (hosting the ARISS contact), Mildred L. Day School in Arundel and Kennebunkport Consolidated School in Kennebunkport. During the year prior to this contact, MRSU21 implemented cross-curriculum courses (for grades 3-5) that highlighted space-related subjects developed under various STEM field of studies. Students also explored aspects of space travel through various courses and activities in the subject categories of Art, Music, Physical Education (astronaut training), Food and Nutrition (space food favorites), and Library studies. All students in the district, starting at pre-Kindergarten, are immersed in STEM class and methodology. This ARISS contact project came into being due to a collaboration with Sea Road School’s STEM team and members of the local Amateur Radio club (New England Radio Discussion Society) who offered to do a free course in electronics and radio fundamentals, radio demonstrations, and electronics project-building.   
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1.  How do you communicate with your family at home?
2. What do you miss the most from home?
3. How did you feel when you looked back and saw earth for the first time?
4. What are your favorite scientific experiments on the ISS right now?
5. Do magnets behave the same way in space as they do on Earth?
6. What is the most dangerous part of being in space?
7. What does it smell like in the space station?
8. How do you stay in shape on the ISS?
9. What happens if someone gets hurt in space?
10. How long and hard did you train to be an astronaut?
11. What are the side effects of being in space?
12. How do you conquer your fear in space?
13. What does a day in an astronaut's life look like?
14. Have you seen any super rare and awesome things in space?
15. Do stars look closer when you're in space?
16. What's your favorite part of being an astronaut?
17. Does the food you eat taste different than it does on earth?
18. Do you think we are the only intelligent life forms in the universe?
19. What classes in school helped you the most as an astronaut?
20. What surprised you most about being in space or on 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. 21-02   
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact is Scheduled for
Students at Hisagi Junior High School, Zushi, Japan
 
January 18, 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 direct contact via amateur radio between students at the Hisagi Junior High School and astronaut Shannon Walker radio call sign KD5DXB. Both onsite and remote access will be provided to the student body at the time of the contact per Covid-19 guidelines. Amateur radio operators, using the callsign 8N1ZH will operate the ham radio ground station for this contact. Students will take turns asking their questions. English is the language to be used during the contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for January 20, 2021 at 5:17 pm JST (Zushi), (08:17 UTC, 3:17 am EST, 2:17 am CST, 1:17 am MST and 12:17 am PST).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://youtu.be/94C9pVIvO6I .
 
Hisagi Junior High School is a public school (about 480 students, grades 7 – 9) in the central part of Japan, about 50 km southwest of Tokyo. This ARISS contact will be a hands-on activity that will allow the students to learn more about the ISS and its purpose, and other space-travel related topics such as orbital mechanics. Students asking questions during this contact will be licensed amateur radio operators.
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What kind of infection countermeasures are you taking against the COVID-19?
2. What was your driving force for the challenges?
3. I think it takes a lot of effort to become an astronaut, but is there any way to continue the effort?
4. What is the most beautiful view you have ever seen in space?
5. What can we do only in space?
6. What was scary in space?
7. What is the inconvenience of the Space Station?
8. What kind of space food do you like the best?
9. What do you want to do when you return to Earth?
10. What was the hardest part of training to become an astronaut?
11. What can only be seen from space?
12. What is the hardest work in space?
    
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 School Contact News Release                                                            No.   2021-01   
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
    
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
ARISS Contact Scheduled for Students at Shigagakuen Junior & Senior HIgh School, Higashioumi, Japan
 
January 11, 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 direct contact via amateur radio and students will take turns asking their questions of astronaut Shannon Walker, amateur radio call sign KD5DXB. Amateur radio station 8N3SG will be the ground station for this contact. English is the language expected to be used during the contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz.  
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for January 13, 2021 at 7:38 pm JST (Higashioumi), (10:38 UTC, 5:38 am EST, 4:38 am CST, 3:38 am MST and 2:38 am PST).    
 
The Shigagakuen Junior & Senior High School’s (with about 100 students) curricula include Information and Communication Technology and Robot programming, and integrates classroom studies with hands-on activities. This ARISS contact is also an important part of their science studies that promote learning through real-world activities to deepen their students’ knowledge and promote interest in space and communication technology.
 
The public is invited to watch the livestream at: https://youtu.be/cT6j-7N6zCc    
_____________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1.  Can you see shooting stars from the ISS?
2.  What are some of the challenges of living in zero gravity?
3.  Aren't you lonely in space?
4.  How do you manage the food on board the ISS? What happens when you run out?
5.  What was the hardest part of becoming an astronaut?
6.  When and where do you sleep on the ISS?
7.  How many times and how much food do you eat each day?
8.  Is it comfortable to sleep in space?
9.  What is the difference between the night sky seen from Earth and the night sky seen in space?
10.  Is the earth really blue when seen from space?
11.  What did you think when you first went into space?
12.  When do you feel the most like you're in space on the ISS?
13.  Are space suits heavy?
14.  Do you enjoy floating around in space?
15.  What's the best space food you've eaten?
16.  Which do you enjoy more, life on earth or in space? And why is that?
 
 
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. 21-01
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
aa4kn@amsat.org
                                                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
7 US Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process
 
January 7, 2021 - Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the schools/host organizations selected for the July-December 2021 contact window. A total of 7 of the submitted proposals during the recent proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities.
 
The ARISS program anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for the 7 US host organizations during the July through December 2021 time period. They are now at work completing an acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by the ARISS Technical Mentors, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA.
 
 
Organization                                                              Location

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt    Nashville, TN
Tarwater Elementary                                                  Chandler, AZ
Museum of Science & Technology                             Syracuse , NY
SpaceKids Global and Girl Scouts of Citrus               Winter Park, FL
Civil Air Patrol – Illinois Wing                                      St Charles, IL
Children’s National Hospital                                       Washington, DC
Savannah River Academy                                          Grovetown, GA

 
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