ISS Fan Club

1. Upcoming School Contacts
An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact is planned for College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La Réunion on Monday, February 25 at 14:42 UTC. Approximately 550 students, ages 10-17, attend the school. Students contacted Victor Afanassiev on MIR from Tsup, Moscow in September 1999 and the College welcomed Victor Poliakov and Pavel Vinogradov who threw the space model from MIR and also Jean-Lou Chretien , Jean-Pierre and Claudie Haignere. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact which will be conducted in French. The audio for this event will be fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers.

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled for Lycée de la Borde Basse in Castres, France on Wednesday, March 5 at 09:49 UTC. In preparation for the contact, teachers will focus on science applications and the ISS. Activities planned include a visit to the Cité de l’espace in Toulouse and a meeting with a scientist residing in Castres, founder of the “Terre et Espace” association (Earth & Space), who has volunteered to give a presentation to the students on work in space and astronaut training techniques. Students will be divided into different study groups according to personal interest in various related subjects such as the implementation and launch of ISS space modules, re-supply missions, life in micro-gravitational environments and experiments carried out onboard the ISS. Students will prepare questions in French and English on various subjects. ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO, plans to participate in this contact.

2. Robspierre School Contact Successful
On Thursday, February 21, students at Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Sixteen students asked one question each of ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO. Approximately two hundred students, teachers, parents and others in the community attended. Prior to the contact, talks were given to the students about space, the Columbus module, amateur radio, AMSAT-France and ARISS. The national newspapers France Soir, le Parisien and Espace Magazine, and radio and television stations France Inter, RTL, Europe 1 covered the news.

3. ESA Press Release on Eyharts - ARISS Contacts
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts that ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts will participate in. The notice was posted on its Web site. See: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Columbus_Blog/SEM1JYVHJCF_0.html

4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held
On February 19, the monthly Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Team teleconference was held. Topics of discussion included the upcoming ARISS Face to Face Meeting, the Amateur Radio Working Group (ARWG) and SuitSat-2. Minutes have been posted to the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-02-19.htm

5. ARISS Presentation at Embedded Systems Conference
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Steve Bible, N7HPR, will present the amateur radio satellite SuitSat-1 as a “teardown” subject for the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, California on April 16, 2008. He will also speak on the current development of SuitSat-2. See: http://www.cmp-egevents.com/web/esv/event-highlights/teardowns?cid=ESCWK8

6. ARISS – One Reason to Love the ISS
On February 14, Universe Today published an article, “I Heart the ISS: Ten Reasons to Love the International Space Station.” Reason number 6 cites ARISS and EarthKAM as educational programs that the general public can participate in. See:
http://www.universetoday.com/2008/02/14/i-heart-the-iss-ten-reasons-to-love-the-international-space-station/

7. Crew Debrief Sessions
Two ISS crewmembers will participate in Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) debrief sessions during the upcoming week. Space visitor Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 26, and astronaut Dan Tani will participate in a short session on February 29.

Source ARISS Weekly Status