ARISS News Release                                                      No. 23-28

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates

May 30, 2023—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 MBRSC located in Dubai, UAE. 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.
 
The MBRSC is a Dubai government organization working on the UAE space program, which includes various space satellite projects, the Emirates Mars Mission, the Emirates Lunar Mission, and the UAE astronaut program. The MBRSC actively works to promote space science and research in the region with educational programs designed to promote a culture based on discovery and exploration in future generations of all education levels.  MBRSC is hosting this ARISS contact for high school students who will be asking questions in Arabic and/or English.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, amateur radio call sign KI5VTV. 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 at MBRSC, Dubai, UAE. Amateur radio operators using call sign A68MBR, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for June 1, 2023 at 11:53:35 pm GST (Dubai, UAE) (7:53:35 UTC, 3:53 am EDT, 2:53 am CDT, 1:53 am MDT, 12:53 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What inspired you to become an astronaut? 
2. What have you learned so far from living in Space and ISS?
3. How do you prepare for emergencies while in space?
4. What is the most important lesson you've learned while being in space?
5. How do you handle waste disposal in space?
6. What do you do to pass the time when you are free on ISS?
7. What is one new thing that you have learned from being in space?
8. How does your experience in space affect your perspective on life on Earth?
9. What is the most beautiful thing you've seen through the window of the ISS?
10. Can you imagine living in space with your family in space and how do you feel about it?
11. How do you manage to eat and drink in zero gravity?
12. What kind of research are you conducting to support future space exploration?
13. How does your work in space support the study of climate change on Earth?
14. What is the most memorable experience you've had so far?
15. What is the most important piece of advice you would give to future space explorers?
16. How do astronauts cope with the psychological effects of being isolated from Earth for long periods of time?
17. Do you enjoy posting pictures and videos on social media while in space and why do you do it?

ARISS News Release                                                   No. 23-27

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates

May 29, 2023—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 MBRSC located in Dubai, UAE. 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.
 
The MBRSC is a Dubai government organization working on the UAE space program, which includes various space satellite projects, the Emirates Mars Mission, the Emirates Lunar Mission, and the UAE astronaut program. The MBRSC actively works to promote space science and research in the region with educational programs designed to promote a culture based on discovery and exploration in future generations of all education levels.  MBRSC is hosting this ARISS contact for high school students who will be asking questions in Arabic and/or English.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, amateur radio call sign KI5VTV. 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 at MBRSC, Dubai, UAE. Amateur radio operators using call sign A68MBR, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for May 31, 2023 at 12:42:20 pm GST (Dubai, UAE) (8:42:20 UTC, 4:42 am EDT, 3:42 am CDT, 2:42 am MDT, 1:42 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. How do you feel like living in zero gravity?
2. How do you communicate with family and friends from space?
3. What are the experiments you are conducting on ISS now? 
4. How do you keep track of time in space?
5.  What are the challenges you face while living in space?
6. What do you miss most about life on Earth? 
7. How do you stay physically fit and healthy in space?
8. What does the view of Earth look like from space? 
9. How does space travel affect the human body?
10. How do you sleep in zero gravity?
11. What kinds of food do you eat in space?
12. How does your work in space benefit humanity?
13. What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an astronaut?
14. What kind of training do you receive to prepare for a spacewalk?
15. How did you feel when you first walked out of ISS?
16. What is the most difficult part of spacewalks?
17. How did you feel when you finished your spacewalk and went back inside the ISS?

ARISS News Release                                              No. 23-26

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at St. Francis Xavier High School, Gloucester, Ontario, Canada

May 24, 2023—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 St. Francis Xavier High School located in Gloucester, CA.  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 Francis Xavier High School is a school of 2,150 students in grades 7 through 12.  In anticipation of this ARISS contact, Grade 9 students will participate in specially designed lessons about the ISS, the astronauts, and radio communication. This contact will form a key part of the “Study of the Universe and Space Exploration” science curriculum for the 9th grade class.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Warren Hoburg, amateur radio call sign KB3HTZ. 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 May 26, 2023 at 12:32:49 pm EDT (ON, CA) (16:32:49 UTC, 11:32 am CDT, 10:32 am MDT, 9:32 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What do you have to do to become an astronaut?
2. What does it feel like in microgravity?
3. Have you ever come across a situation you didn’t train for?
4. Do you have to clean surfaces of dust and debris like on Earth?
5. What if you get sick in space? How do you get treated?
6. How do you live in space? (Food, water, hygiene)
7. Do you have to wear those blue jumpsuits on the ISS or can you wear what you want?
8. What’s one of your favourite activities to do in space?
9. What was the most memorable moment you have had while in space?
10. Can astronauts lose their spaceship?
11. Do you think we will make it to Mars one day?
12. Is there a smell in space?
13. Can you bring your own food to the ISS?
14. How do you stay in shape while on the ISS?
15. Have you ever lost something during a spacewalk or lost any repairing part in space?
16. What are the human-made things you can see from space?

 ARISS News Release                                                No. 23-25

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Children at The Children’s Inn at NIH (National Institutes of Health), Bethesda, Maryland, USA

May 23, 2023—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an Axiom Mission (Ax-2) astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and children at the Children’s Inn at NIH located in Bethesda, MD.  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.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut John Shoffner, amateur radio call sign KO4MJC. Shoffner is a STEM advocate, business pioneer, and life-long space enthusiast, John Shoffner will serve as pilot for Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceX Dragon. Shoffner currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is honored to have this opportunity to not only achieve one of his greatest life’s dreams but also to use the Ax-2 mission to ignite a passion for STEM education in teachers and students worldwide to each pursue their ambitions. 
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 May 26, 2023 at 1:31:38 pm EDT (MD) (17:31:38 UTC, 12:31 pm CDT, 11:31 am MDT, 10:31 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 1. What do you do to keep the food that you eat from going bad?
 2. Before our solar system consisted of 9 planets. Why are we now discounting Pluto as a planet in our solar system?
 3. What type of materials have you used while experimenting during your mission?
 4. Has ISS discovered anything about life, vegetation, or water in its studies throughout the years?
 5. What would happen if the magnetosphere that protects Earth stopped working?
 6. What is your favorite part about being an astronaut?
 7. How much training do you need to have in order to prepare for a space launch?
 8. How does time feel in space? Does it affect you in any way?
 9. How long have you been out in space?
10. What made you want to go into space? What are some risk factors you take into consideration?
11. Can you describe what liftoff is like? Do you get nervous?
12. What kind of things do you experiment with? Plants? Seeds? Other things?
13. What is the most interesting or beautiful thing that you have experienced in space?
14. How do you go to the bathroom in space?
15. How do you feel physically in space? Will it be hard readjusting when you come back from space?
16. What kind of food do you miss from home that you don’t have in space?
17. What is your day-to-day routine in space?
18. Is it comfortable sleeping in space?
19. What made you want to become an astronaut?
20. What is the most important skill to have as an astronaut?
21. What kind of activities do you do in space? Or when you're on earth?

ARISS News Release                                            No. 23-24

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Middlesboro School System, Middlesboro, Kentucky, USA

May 23, 2023—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an Axiom Mission (Ax-2) astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Middlesboro School System located in Middlesboro, KY.  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.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut John Shoffner, amateur radio call sign KO4MJC. STEM advocate, business pioneer, and life-long space enthusiast, John Shoffner will serve as pilot for Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceX Dragon. Shoffner currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is honored to have this opportunity to not only achieve one of his greatest life’s dreams but also to use the Ax-2 mission to ignite a passion for STEM education in teachers and students worldwide to each pursue their ambitions. 

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 May 25, 2023 at 11:07 am EDT (KY) (15:07:12 UTC,10:07 am CDT, 9:07 am MDT, 8:07 am PDT).
 
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Can you describe your initial emotions during your entry into space and docking to the station?
2. How does your body adapt to microgravity and what will it be like readjusting to Earth’s gravity?
3. What types of experiments have you been a part of while on board the space station?
4. Will you have any leisure time aboard the space station and if so, what types of things can you do?
5. Can you describe the suits you have to wear on the mission and how they help you during your mission?
6. What is your personal “why” for taking part in this mission?
7. What has it felt like being able to come from a small town and live out your dream of traveling to space?
8. What has it been like to sleep in space and how do you do it?
9. Can you describe the food and how you eat while in space?
10. What is your daily schedule and routine like?
11. What has been the most impactful thing you’ve seen or done so far?
12. How will your time aboard the space station help astronauts on future missions?
13. Can you describe the launch experience?
14. Do you have the ability to communicate with your family back on Earth? If so, how?
15. What advice would you give a student like me who is interested in becoming an astronaut and traveling to space?

News Release                                                          No. 23-23

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Saudi Space Commission (SSC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

May 23, 2023—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Saudi Space Commission located in Riyadh, SA.  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.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to take turns asking their questions of Astronauts Alqarni and Barnawi, amateur radio call signs 7Z1AJ and 7Z1RB, respectively. 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 Riyadh, SA. Amateur radio operators using call sign HZ1SAR, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for May 24, 2023 at 2:08:38 pm AST (Riyadh) (11:08:38 UTC, 7:08 am EDT, 6:08 am CDT, 5:08 am MDT, 4:08 am PDT).
 
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. How did it feel during lift off?
2. Is there gravity in space?
3. How many astronauts on the ISS now? And what is the maximum number?
4. How far are you from Earth?
5. How long does it take to travel to the Space Station from Earth?
6. Do you have internet in space?
7. How do you spend your time?
8. What is your food in ISS?
9. How do you shower and use the bathroom?
10. Do you see the sun from the ISS? All the time?
11. How do you sleep in space?
12. What made you become an astronaut?
13. Do you play games in your free time? What kind of games?
14. Did you see the kingdom from space? How does it look like?

ARISS News Release No. 23-20

11 US Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process

May 17, 2023: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the schools/host organizations selected for the January-June 2024 window. A total 11 of the submitted ARISS Education 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 these US host organizations. 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 operations team, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA in January through June 2024.

The schools and host organizations are:

ARISS News Release                                                     No. 23-22

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Fairview Elementary, Olathe, Kansas, USA
 
May 16, 2023—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 Fairview Elementary located in Olathe, KS.  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.
 
Fairview Elementary is a Title 1 public elementary school with an enrollment of 250 students in grades Pre-K through 5th in Olathe, Kansas. Olathe is a city of 140,000 just outside Kansas City. Fairview Elementary has partnered with the Astronomical Society of Kansas City (ASKC) to provide an annual Astronomy Night for 3rd – 5th grade students and their families. Students and their families observed the night sky through 6-8 telescopes, experienced a STARLAB guided tour of the night sky, and were given a small piece of asteroid to take home. During the first year, approximately 100 people attended this event. Approximately 150 attended the second year, and for the 3rd annual Astronomy Night all students and their families will be invited. Some members of ASKC also hold active amateur radio licenses and are members of local HAM clubs (Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club-KS0KS and Johnson County Radio Amateurs Club-W0ERH). These members, as well as the organization AMSAT (Amateur Radio in Space) have provided support for this ARISS contact. Ham radio operators have also demonstrated radio technology and communications to students in the school’s Science Club. Students have also participated in demonstrations of digital and voice communications through satellites provided by members of the Johnson County Radio Amateurs Club. Through these STEM-related lessons, activities, and events that have led up to and that will follow this ARISS contact, the school hopes to show students how exciting, engaging, challenging, and most importantly, attainable a STEM career can be.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Warren Hoburg, amateur radio call sign KB3HTZ. 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 May 19, 2023 at 1:58 pm CDT (Olathe) (18:58 UTC, 2:58 pm EDT, 12:58 pm MDT, 11:58 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://youtube.com/live/7eSFpxe0Fro?feature=share
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
 
1. What is the most difficult thing about being an astronaut?
2. Has the ISS ever gotten close to a meteor and have you gotten any pictures of it?
3. How many languages are there on the ISS and are the controls only in English?
4. Is it easy to go to the bathroom in space?
5. Why do astronauts go to outer space?
6. What do the stars look like from the space station?
7. What would happen if you fell off the space station?
8. How much did it cost to build the SpaceX rocket ship and how much gas did you need to get to the ISS?
9. Have you seen an exoplanet like Kepler 22b?
10. What does the horizon look like from the space station?
11. What do you eat in space and where does it come from?
12. Have you ever done a backflip in space?
13. How can I be an astronaut?
14. How do you grow plants on the space station?
15. Has anything gone wrong after you went up to space?
16. What do you think of your job because sometimes you miss things like birthdays, funerals, and other important stuff?
17. In case of emergency and you have to abandon the space station, how will you be able to escape to earth safe and sound?
18. What do you do for fun on the space station?
19. How long does it take to get to the space station?
20. How do you know what time it is in space? Can you tell if it's day or night?
21. What is your favorite thing to do on the ISS and when you get home?
22. What is the longest amount of time you have spent in space?
23. What does it feel like to sit on top of a rocket when it blasts off?
24. How do you adjust from gravity on earth to no gravity in space?
25. How long do you stay on the space station?
26. What happens if you get sick on the space station?
27. Do you float while you sleep?
28. Do you exercise in space and do you shower?

ARISS News Release                                               No. 23-21

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Webb Bridge Middle School, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA

May 16, 2023—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 Webb Bridge Middle School located in Alpharetta, GA.  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.
 
Webb Bridge Middle School (WBMS) is a public school (with a total enrollment of 1188 in grades 6 through 8) in Alpharetta, Georgia, a far northern suburb of Atlanta. The primary audience for the ARISS contact is their 6th grade students (11 – 12 years old), who also study Geology and Space sciences during the year. In support of this contact, WBMS has partnered with the local amateur radio organization, the North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL). During the day of the contact, planned activities will center around amateur radio and space education such as a morse code station, a get on the air station, and poster presentations on satellites, orbits, and Earth’s atmosphere.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio and students will take turns asking their questions of Astronaut Warren Hoburg, amateur radio call sign KB3HTZ. 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 May 19, 2023 at 2:20:31 pm EDT (GA) (18:20:31 UTC, 1:20 pm CDT, 12:20 pm MDT, 11:20 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: http://www.ariotti.com/
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What was your first mission and how did it make you feel?
2. What was the hardest and easiest part and challenges of becoming an astronaut?
3. What is the weirdest thing you have encountered in space?
4. What is the most profound lesson you learned from your experience in space, and how has it changed your perspective on life?
5. How major is the difference between daily life in space and earth? Would things in space like gravity change your daily routines?
6. If space does not have the same gravitational pull as the earth, then how does your body stay healthy and stable?
7. If I were to become an astronaut, what would you tell me you wish that you knew when you started your career?
8. What is training like?  Do a lot of people quit?
9. When you've just left the atmosphere, and you can see earth and all the other planets from afar, what do you feel? Do you have a sense of love for the universe and how amazing it is?
10. Does it hurt when you go back into the Earth's atmosphere after you've gotten used to little to no gravity?
11. I have a friend that told me that astronauts faint a lot after they come back to Earth, is this true?
12. What do you do when you get bored in the spacecraft?
13. Has there ever been a moment where there was a challenging situation and you and your other astronaut friends aboard the ISS has to work together to solve the problem?
14. What would you do if your spaceship was suddenly going down and you weren’t able to control it?
15. What happens if someone drifts out to space?  Are there emergency protocols or anything to do to save them?
16. If your nose is itchy on a spacewalk, what do you do?
17. As you are blasting off, what does it feel like, is it nerve racking?
18. Can you communicate with your family while you are in space? If so, how?
19. How do you set your sleep schedule?
20. How do you plan to take out the trash in space?