Tag Archives: ARISS

Mar 31 2013

Thornton Middle School students contact the International Space Station

Thornton Middle School ISS Contact

One of the Thornton Middle School students

On March 25, using the Thornton Middle School Wireless Technology Club callsign KF5NZD, students from Thornton Middle School in Katy, Texas contacted the International Space Station (ISS). They used ham radio to speak to ISS Commander Chris Hadfield VA3OOG who was operating one of the amateur radio stations onboard the ISS, callsign NA1SS.

“NA1SS..NA1SS this is KF5NZD, KF5NZD, How do you copy, over?” called 13-year-old Chris Bobicchio.

The Cypress Creek Mirror reports a long sticky pause filled the room followed by a clear “This is NA1SS to KF5NZD, you are loud and clear, how do you copy me, over?”

Thornton math teacher and ham radio enthusiast Tom Maxwell AE5QB had been trying to get his school involved in the ARISS program for the past three years and was finally accepted last summer.

AMSAT News Service reports Thornton Middle School students, due to their economic backgrounds, have limited opportunities for enrichment activities beyond those that can be implemented in the classroom. Many of its students and families believe that opportunities in high paying STEM careers are beyond the reach of Thornton students, and that, “other kids have all the luck.” This ARISS contact helped dispel these perceptions and will demonstrate to the students and families that Thornton students are capable of complex problem solving, and that they are capable of learning “Rocket Science” material.

Read the Cypress Creek Mirror story by Crystal Simmons at
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/news/thornton-middle-school-students-make-contact/article_508321f1-dbe6-5994-b04d-edb8ae4dab69.html

To see a video of the complete question and answer session, visit
http://www.cfisd.net/movies/zmovies/ariss.htm

A list of the questions asked is at
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2013/ariss_event_2503.htm

Thornton Middle School Wireless Technology Club on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/PatriotsInSpace/

Thornton Middle School
http://www.greatschools.org/texas/katy/1727-Thornton-Middle-School/?tab=demographics

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) http://www.ariss.org/

Mar 10 2013

Video of ISS amateur radio contact with students at Lycee Polyvalent Anatole France

International Space Station ISS with shuttle Endeavour 2011-05-23A video has been released of the International Space Station (ISS) school contact with participants at the Lycee Polyvalent Anatole France.

The contact took place  at 1142 UT on Saturday, March 9, 2013. ISS Commander Chris Hadfield VA3OOG, used the call sign OR4ISS, and the high school used F4KIS.

Anatole France is a French high school located in Lillers, a small town in the center of the Pas-de-Calais department. There are about 850 students 15 to 20 years old. The science teachers and the local amateur radio club F4KIS, which became in 2010 the ‘Artois Lys Radio Club’, have developed a partnership since 2007 collaborating on projects to send sounding balloons into the stratosphere.

Continue reading →

Feb 19 2013

ARISS contact planned February 19, 2013 with school in Greece

The International Space Station

ARISS contact planned February 19, 2013 with school in Greece

An International Space Station school contact has been planned February 19 2013 with participants at 4th Dimotiko Scholeio Chaidariou, Chaidari (near Athens), Greece.             The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 14:06 UTC, which is 16:07 CEWT.

The contact will be a direct operated by J41ISS. Interested parties in Europe are invited to listen to dowlink signals on 145.800 MHz FM. The contact will be conducted in English.

The event will be webcast on several webstreaming servers: http://www.sv1eag.gr/ http://www.justin.tv/sv1eag#r=-rid-&s=em http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RFJbw5NeAc

School presentation:

Our school is located in Chaidari, a suburb in the north-west of Athens.             It was constructed in 1978, but it is now being renovated so as to be more energy efficient. It is a two-storey building with 16 classrooms, a Head office and a staff room. Continue reading →
Feb 10 2013

Amateur Radio on ISS switches to Ericsson after Kenwood problems

ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space StationAfter experiencing issues with the Kenwood D700 on two consecutive school contacts, ARISS will use the Ericsson radio on the Columbus module for ARISS contacts until problems with D700 are resolved.

According to Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT’s Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs, “…for some reason, our signals from the Service Module Kenwood D700 radio are much diminished.  Our contact with Israel last Sunday [February 3]  had low audio levels, with good signals only near TCA.  Our contact [February 8] with the Hospital for Sick Children was even worse.  Only one student was able to talk to Chris Hadfield [VA3OOG] before we lost the signal.”

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Nov 9 2012

Video of successful ISS amateur radio contact with Italian schools

This video shows the successful ARISS contact for Italian Schools in Govone, Priocca and Diano dAlba, Italy.

On Thursday, November  8, 2012 at 1204 UT, students from Institute Comprehensive in Govone, Nino Costa Middle school in Priocca and Institute Comprehensive in Diano dAlba, Italy established ARISS contact with JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI onboard the International Space Station. Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI operated with the ISS callsign OR4ISS.

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Nov 1 2012

Appointment of Frank Bauer, KA3HDO as AMSAT VP-Human Spaceflight Programs

AMSAT-NA President Barry Baines is pleased to announce that effective August 1, 2012, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, will be returning as AMSAT’s Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs. This role will include AMSAT’s leadership on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program and amateur radio operations pursuits on other Human Spaceflight vehicles proposed by NASA, International Space Agencies and domestic and international commercial spaceflight organizations.

Bauer made the following comment regarding his reappointment: “I look forward to working again with AMSAT as we bring the excitement of human space exploration pursuits and amateur radio communications into the communities of the world, inspiring youth to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers”. Continue reading →