October 15, 2009

 

FRANK DE WINNE TO TALK WITH WINNER OF ESA T-SHIRT DRAWING COMPETITION

 

An Expedition 20 ARISS school contact is planned for ISS Commander Frank De Winne with participants at Romualdo Trifone school, Montecorvino Rovella, Italy.

 

Romoaldo Trifone is a primary and secondary school for  pupils and students aged between 5 and 12 years old. The school is dedicated to an important lawyer born in Montecorvino Rovella. This nice town is located in southern Italy, near the archeological site of Paestum. The students, besides the curricular subjects, take part in many activities such as drama, choir and popular dances. The school is involved in special projects supported by European funding, such as a specialization course in English language, Specialization course of maths and I.T. (information technology). Students participated to a national competition of mathematical games and won seventh place.

 

Alexandra Angellotti, a clever student very good at painting, participated to the ESA competition “Fly your picture on the International Space Station!” She is one of the winners, and she is very proud that her drawing is on the shirt of ISS Commander Frank De Winne, and that the “Trifone” students have the opportunity to talk to him.

 

This direct contact is scheduled on Tuesday 20 October at 07:41 UTC, which is 09:41 CEST.

 

Downlink signals will be audible over Europe on 145.800MHz FM.

 

The audio will be distributed on *AMSAT* and *JK1ZRW* EchoLink servers.

 

Moreover, the event will be webcast on http://www.arisa.it/webtv/

.

Participants will ask as many of following questions as time allows:

 

1. Alexandra: What are the responsibilities of an astronaut on board?

 

2. Alexandra: How do you cope with the difficulties during the mission?

 

3. Valentin: Did you dream about becoming an astronaut during your childhood?

 

4. Sara: Did you attend a specific course to become an astronaut?

 

5. Ylenia: What are you focusing your reflection on when you are in Space?

 

6. Vita: What is of essential importance for you during your stay in Space?

 

7. Morena: What is the minimum age for becoming an astronaut?

 

8. Simona: What do you miss most from Earth?

 

9. Martina: Does life in space change the intensity of social values such as friendship and love?

 

10. Gennaro: What was the first impression you got when you arrived on board the ISS?

 

11. Antonio: What does the vastness of Space remind you of?

 

12. Giuseppe: Do you have children and how often do you communicate with your family?

 

13. Simone: Would you like to share your experience in Space with your family?

 

14. Ersilio: Is your family happy with your choice of being an astronaut?

 

15. Alessia: What profession did you pursue before you became an astronaut?

 

16. Francesca: Are you happy or unhappy to coming back to Earth soon?

 

17. Libera: What objects will you bring home and which ones do you leave on board the ISS?

 

18. Donatella: Would you like to eventually come back to the ISS?

 

19. Federic: What do you think about life on the ISS in the future?

 

20. Assunta: Do the Space Shuttle visits boost the moral of the long term crew?

 

21. Alessio: What was the most difficult moment on board and how did you master it?

 

22. Chiara: Do you expect any health problem after landing on Earth?

 

23. Alessio: What experiment did you carry out together with the students from Athens?

 

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries.

 

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers onboard the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology and learning.

 

73

Gaston Bertels - ON4WF

ARISS Chairman