MIKE FOALE TALKS WITH STUDENTS IN NORTH-WESTERN GERMANY

Friday 12 December 2003 at 13:59  UTC, i.e. 14:59  local time, the  German school Berufliche Schule des Kreises Nordfriesland in Niebuell, Germany, performed a radio contact with the US astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC, on board the ISS.

The Berufliche Schule des Kreises Nordfriesland in Niebuell is a school center located in the most north-western part of Germany. The 2600 pupils are taught by 135 teachers. The school does focus on a big variety of professional education. The main fields are economics, computer science, health and nutrition, agriculture, social matters and pedagogics.

The amateur radio station of the school, DL0NIB, used its educational callsign DN0BSN for the contact.

The coordinating teacher Guenter Jannsen, DF3LG, did a brilliant job. He prepared the event, he managed the installation of the satellite station, he motivated the 16 students to work out detailed pedagogic discussions about space technology.

The technical team did a perfect job and set up the satellite station with absolute professionalism. The 16 students, the coordinating teacher, Mr. Guenter Jannsen, the technical team, the principal of the school, Mr. Bernhard Puschmann, and an audience of about 150 students and their parents gathered this early afternoon and waited for the contact.

The ISS called the school at the predicted time. During the 10 minutes long contact the students asked questions on a variety of topics, ranging from safety of the ISS and oxygen production to microgravity and noise on board the ISS. Mike Foale answered 16 questions. The sound quality was good, with minimumal noise and fading. The loss of signal came after the farewell words of the coordinating teacher, during the applause of the audience.

One radio station (NDR Norddeutscher Rundfunk) and two newspapers (Nordfriesland Tageblatt, Wochenschau) covered the event.  A big success in every respect!

73, Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ

ARISS mentor