ARISS News Release                                                   No. 23-39

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Students at Karasuyama Residents Center, Setagaya, Japan

August 31, 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 Karasuyama Residents Center located in Setagaya, Japan. 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 Karasuyama Residents Center (KRC) is a public facility that hosts various social, educational and cultural events. The KRC is hosting this ARISS event for students (kindergarten, elementary school and junior high school) interested in space exploration, the ISS and its mission. Twenty-five students are directly involved in this project. The local amateur radio club (JA1ZSH) is also supporting this ARISS contact. Prior to this contact, students have been using an astronomical telescope with access to a planetarium and have been learning about orbital mechanics of artificial satellites (ISS), and how amateur radio is used to communicate with the ISS.
 
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, 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 in Setagaya, Japan. Amateur radio operators using call sign JA1ZSH, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
 
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for August 3, 2023 at 6:26 pm JST (Japan) (9:26 UTC, 5:26 am EDT, 4:26 am CDT, 3:26 am MDT, 2:26 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. How long do you exercise per day?
2. Why is the rocket shaped like a cylinder?
3. What did you consider when learning a non-native language like English?
4. What is the most challenging thing about going to space?
5. How did you feel when you went to space?
6. Which planet do you want to go to?
7. Please tell me. What are some convenient and inconvenient things in space?
8. Does the earth really look the same as it does in pictures?
9. Please tell us the secret to making friends with astronauts from other countries.
10. What happens if you crack an egg in space?
11. Will water freeze or evaporate ，if I release water into space?
12. How does toilet system work in ISS?
13. What is your favorite space food?
14. How do you feel when you see the earth from space?
15. Which star is beautiful to you?
16. What kind of experiments do you do in ISS?
17. What is the hardest training you had to do to become an astronaut?
18. What was the most difficult part of experiments in space?

ARISS News Release                                                No. 23-38

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

July 27, 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 at 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 Al Neyadi, 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 July 31, 2023 at 12:16:45 pm GST (Dubai, UAE) (8:16:45 UTC, 4:16 am EDT, 3:16 am CDT, 2:16 am MDT, 1:16 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What happens to your body when you return to Earth after spending a long time in space?
2. How does the lack of gravity affect the growth of plants and crops on the ISS?
3. How do you take care of the ISS and keep it clean?
4. How do you deal with waste disposal on the ISS?
5. How do you manage the temperature inside the ISS?
6. Can you see the Northern Lights from the ISS? And how do they happen?
7. Can you describe the process of docking and undocking with other spacecraft or modules?
8. How does the ISS stay in its orbit when there is no gravity? Why doesn’t it fall or fly away in space?
9. How did it feel to be in a Spacesuit and how did you handle the heavy weight of it?
10. How does space weather, such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms and radiation, affect the safety and operations of the ISS?
11. When the 6 months mission ends, when do you start preparing to go back to earth and how do you prepare?
12. What new technologies are you using on ISS and how are you having benefit from it?
13. Where does the ISS get power from?
14. How do you wash your clothes on ISS?
15. Did your blood pressure change in Space and what effects does space have on it?
16. How do you feel after spending more than 4 months on the ISS while your return date to Earth is approaching?
17. What did you think of when the rocket started taking off to space?

ARISS News Release                                               No. 23-37

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

July 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 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 at 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 July 27, 2023 at 1:57:42 pm GST (Dubai, UAE) (9:57:42 UTC, 5:57 am EDT, 4:57 am CDT, 3:57 am MDT, 2:57 am PDT).
 
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What training have you had before going to Space you find now the most important while on ISS?
2. How did you prepare for your spacewalk on ISS?
3. Were you able to hear any sounds in space (during the spacewalk)?
4. How does it feel to be weightless? How would it affect you when you are back to earth after a long time of weightlessness?
5. What is your most enjoyable experience you had in space?
6. Can you see stars and planets clearly from the ISS?
7. How do you recycle resources on ISS, such as water and oxygen?
8. Can you explain the process of growing plants or food in space and why do you do it?
9. Is the ISS protected from Space Debris and how?
10. When studying the human body in space, do you do experiments on each other or just yourself and why?
11. Do you use 3D printing on ISS, how and what do you use it for?
12. Are there any Artificial Intelligence equipment on ISS and do you think they are useful in space exploration and studies?
13. How many robotic arms are there on ISS and what do you use them for? Are they hard to operate?
14. Do you run out of supplies on ISS and how do you manage the amount you have? Is there a specific amount of food that you are allowed to use daily?
15. When you are back from ISS, how long do you need to adapt to earth gravity and what treatments do you go through?
16. Does ISS need fuel to operate and if yes, how do you fill it with fuel?
17. Does space have an effect on your internal organs and what?

ARISS News Release                                                             No. 23-36

 ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Scouts at Camp William B. Snyder, Haymarket, Virginia, USA

July 19, 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 young campers at Camp William B. Snyder located in Haymarket, VA.  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.
 
Camp William B. Snyder encompasses 350-acres, including a managed wetland, about 50 miles West of downtown Washington DC, in Haymarket, Prince William County, Virginia.  The Camp hosts nearly 5,000 youth and adults each year that include resident and day camps for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (Boy Scouts of America).  The breadth of activities at Camp include; aquatics, shooting sports, handicrafts, hiking on nature trails, simulated rock climbing, model rocketry, woodworking and STEM learning.  During the week of July 17-21, scouts have also been honing their skills and mastering tasks to earn multiple merit badges. In preparation for this ARISS contact, scouts have been learning about operating an amateur radio satellite station that is installed at the camp.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, 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 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 July 21, 2023 at 1:54 pm EDT (VA) (17:54:29 UTC, 12:54 pm CDT, 11:54 am MDT, 10:54 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://www.facebook.com/NCACSTEM/
IK1SLD will begin its live stream about 15 minutes before AOS at http://www.ariotti.com/
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Have the skillsets desired by the astronaut selection committee changed overtime? 
2. Did you have to learn all the languages spoken by the individual crew members on the ISS?
3. What would you like to do when you retire from being an astronaut?
4. Have you seen any objects like debris in space – if so, what was that like?
5. Have you or your colleagues ever gotten sick while in space? How do you take care of yourself or get better?
6. Do you have time to pursue any hobbies while at ISS?
7. We raced blastcars in STEM Scouts this year. These are basically pinewood derby cars, with a CO2 cartridge (engine) attached to them. How would that work aboard the ISS?
8. How do you stay in touch with your family and friends while on missions?
9. Do you see more stars from the space station, than looking at them from Earth?
10. What is the long term impacts to your health by living on the ISS?
11. What does a day in the life of an astronaut look like?
12. What are some of the science experiments you have worked on while at the ISS?
13. Do you get regular time off while aboard the ISS, and what do you do during your time off?
14. Do you have any advice for young people who may be interested in becoming an astronaut?
15. Will the mission to the moon open the door for different science experiments?  How so?

ARISS News Release                                                           No. 23-35

Special SSTV Experiment Scheduled for ARRL Teacher’s Institute

July 18, 2023— Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) in collaboration with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), plan to carry out a special Slow Scan TV (SSTV) experiment from the ISS on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. During the event, the Columbus Module Repeater, transmitting at 437.800 MHz, will carry a message to be received by teachers attending the ARRL Teacher’s Institute class. The pass will be over the Mid-Atlantic / New England area with transmissions scheduled to begin at 20:05 UTC (16:05 ET) and ending at 20:20 UTC (16:20 ET). If necessary, a backup window will be 21:40 UTC (17:40 ET) to 21:55 UTC (17:55 ET).

Radio enthusiasts are welcome to download the message and follow along with the event, but we ask that all hams please refrain from using the repeater for voice contacts during the event. 

Please understand this is a special experiment conducted through ARISS and the ARRL. All regular operation of the repeater should continue to take place in voice mode only.

Check ARISS Social Media below for any updates on this event.
 
Find us on social media at:
Twitter: ARISS_Intl
Facebook: facebook.com/ARISSIntl
Instagram: ariss_intl
Mastodon: ariss_intl@mastodon.hams.social
Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.

ARISS News Release                                               No. 23-34

ARISS Contact is Scheduled with Participants at Youth on The Air (YOTA) 2023 Summer Camp, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

July 15, 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 participants at the YOTA 2023 located in ON, Canada.  ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
 
Youth on the Air (YOTA) Summer Camp is a week-long event for young amateur radio operators ages 15 to 25 from North, Central, and South America.  This is their third year of operations, with YOTA activities designed to demonstrate how these young participants can connect with each other through amateur radio communications and STEM activities.  YOTA is also about fostering a worldwide community though amateur radio. Throughout the week YOTA participants have learned to build antennas and telegraph machine kits, talked to hams around the world on high frequencies (HF) from both permanent and portable ham radio stations, and learned how to operate using Morse Code. Camp participants have also launched and tracked a high-altitude balloon, and communicated through low-earth orbit amateur radio satellites. This will be the first ARISS contact opportunity for many of these students, demonstrating how amateur radio can connect with the ISS.  After this experience, students will come away with a better understanding of the life of an astronaut on the ISS, and perhaps motivate them to pursue STEM-related fields.
 
This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing YOTA participants to ask their questions of Astronaut Steve Bowen, amateur radio call sign KI5BKB. 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 July 18, 2023 at 2:42:54 pm EDT (ON, CAN) (18:42:54 UTC, 1:42 pm CDT, 12:42 pm MDT, 11:42 am PDT).
 
The public is invited to watch the live stream at: https://youtube.com/live/A5bXZUGifYY?feature=share
IK1SLD will start about 15 minutes before AOS at http://www.ariotti.com/
_______________________________
 
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What is your favorite view from the cupola?
2. How does amateur radio factor into life and science on the ISS?
3. What radios and antennas are used for the ARISS program?
4. How does your training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory compare to extravehicular spacewalks?
5. What is your favorite food to eat on the station and is it the same as here on earth?
6. Does the ISS have an HF setup and have you ever used it?
7. Does the ISS provide weather data from visual observations to ground stations?
8. What advice do you have for someone wanting to become an astronaut?
9. What sorts of creative outlets do you get while on the ISS?
10. What types of experiments are being done on the ISS?
11. Once we have interstellar travel figured out, which celestial object would you like to visit first?
12. What current experiments are you conducting that will help benefit life on earth?
13. What is the coolest space station repeater contact you have made?
14. How has learning multiple languages affected your daily life on the station?
15.  How are QSOs logged and sent to ground stations from the ISS?
16. Do you have a favorite DSLR camera and lens combination for taking pictures from the ISS?
17. Are there property taxes for the ISS and if so, what district would they go to?
18. Do you have any go-to life advice?

ARISS-USA search for Director of Education Application Deadline Extended to July 31

Overview
ARISS-USA, a 501(c)(3) educational and scientific non-profit organization, is seeking an experienced educator with extensive leadership experience to serve as our Director of Education. This is a part-time, remote position in the USA which includes a one-year probationary period.
ARISS provides and operates Amateur Radio systems on International Space Station (ISS) and elsewhere to inspire, educate, and engage youth and communities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and to support ISS backup communications. For more detailed information on ARISS, see the About ARISS-USA section, below, or visit the ARISS web sites: www.ariss.org and www.ariss-usa.org.
Responsibilities

• ARISS Education Senior Leadership: As the Director of Education, work with the ARISS team to develop strategies and a vision to maintain and expand the educational outcomes of youth that participate in the ARISS experience.
• Education Engagement Volunteer Team (EEVT) Leadership: Serve as the leader of the ARISS education engagement volunteer team, fostering passion within the team, recruiting new team members, and ensuring each radio contact opportunity meets ARISS’ objectives of inspiring, engaging, and educating youth in STEAM/STEM and encouraging youth to pursue careers in these fields.
• Host Organization Contact Competitive Selection: Coordinate the semi-annual request for proposal (RFP) process to solicit and select host organizations (e.g., schools and informal education organizations) for ARISS astronaut radio contacts. Staff the proposal selection team, maintain RFP selection rubric and RFP process, conduct host organization information sessions, serve as the selection official, and coordinate with the ARISS executive team on endorsement of final selections and on ensuring host organizations and external media are promptly and accurately informed of the results.
• ARISS Education Ambassadors (AEA): Recruit, train and guide AEAs, selected from the EEVT ranks. AEAs track their appointed ARISS contact host organizations to gather details and insight into how these contact teams are following their educational objectives as outlined in their proposals. AEAs also gather data to document ARISS contact educational outcomes, including photos, parent permission slips, student engagement descriptions, metrics and post-survey compliance. 
• Diversity and Inclusion: Develop team strategies that explicitly target improvements in ARISS’ engagement with diverse and underrepresented youth and provide opportunities for these youth that motivate them to pursue STEAM careers.
• ARISS Lesson Plans: Create or coordinate the development of lesson plans and educational kits that support the educational outcomes of ARISS host organizations. Compile external lessons that can serve ARISS host organizations, including lessons developed by our NASA and ISS National Lab sponsors. Maintain dedicated areas on the ARISS web site for posting these lessons for distribution.
• National Science Standards Alignment: Ensure ARISS education initiatives—including the contact experience, lesson plans, and educational kits—align with National Science Standards.
• Metric Collection: Work with the education volunteer team to ensure contact metrics and post-contact surveys are submitted. Conduct post-contact surveys and track survey performance over the course of the program. Present metrics and survey results to ARISS executive team and prepare materials and present results of educational outcomes to sponsors, stakeholders and prospective new partners.
• Networking: Participate in meetings, conferences, workshops and other opportunities to convey the educational breadth and depth of the ARISS Experience to space agencies, educators, sponsors, stakeholders, education departments, and federal and state governments.
• International Coordination: Work with ARISS educators in other countries to develop best practices and to convey the activities and methods employed by the ARISS-USA educator team.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated leadership in a formal or informal education setting.
• 3+ years of teaching experience in a formal or informal education environment
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in education, education administration or a related field.
• Proficient in the use of virtual technology, including Zoom, and ability to learn other virtual tools, such as Google Meet, Teams, Webex, Dropbox, Google docs and Office 365 products.
• Enthusiasm in providing education experiences in the STEAM field.
• Enthusiasm learning about amateur radio and wireless technologies and to enthusiastically convey these to educators and youth.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Basic understanding of amateur radio; possessing an amateur radio license preferred; obtaining an amateur radio license required post-hire.  License training will be provided upon hiring.
• Educator that has previously conducted an ARISS contact.
• Experience and/or ability to work and lead a virtual, distributed, nationwide team.
• Experience in coordinating experiences, lessons learned and best practices with ARISS international colleagues.
• Experience in coordinating with partners, stakeholders and sponsors.
• Experience interfacing with space agencies or space organizations.

Location
Remote, within the USA.
Anticipated Salary
Part time, 20-hour per week salary range is $23,000-$34,500 per year, depending upon experience.
 
Hours worked per week and during the day are flexible, as long as the candidate supports meeting engagements, meets deliverable times, and works an average of about 20 hours per week.
 
Other Position Information
Candidates accepted into this position will be required to first serve a one-year probationary period. All candidates must be U.S. citizens.
 
To Apply
If you are interested in making a difference as an ARISS-USA team member, please send your resume or CV to candidates@ariss-usa.org. Include a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and why you are the optimal candidate for this position.
 
All position applications are due no later than midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) July 31, 2023