DOUBLE CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA WITH “DA VINCI-COSSAR” AND “E. GUERRA” SCHOOLS, ITALY

Saturday, 19 March, 2011 at 08:44 UTC and 10:17 UTC, i.e. 09:44 and 11:17 local time, "Cossar / Da Vinci” Institute in Gorizia AND “Elena Guerra” Middle School in Rome, Italy, established a double contact with Italian astronaut PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA on board the International Space Station. Astronaut NESPOLI operated with the special Italian callsign IR0ISS that he will use during his mission. The contact took place at both schools that operated the contact with callsigns IW3QKU and IK0USO respectively.

"Leonardo da Vinci" Technical Institute includes also the “Cossar” Institute for commerce. This school is located in Gorizia, North East of Italy, between the hills of “Carso” territory. The school has been built
in 1920 and it offers the students workshops and electronic labs to work with. There are almost 450 students. For this contact the students have to design a receiver in the 2 meter band.

"Elena Guerra" School started in 1950 and is run by “ Suore Oblate dello Spirito Santo” ( Holy Spirit Nuns). It is a private School, formed by Nursery, Primary and Middle School. The educational policy is to have few classes offering the students education not only from a didactic point of view but mainly for their growth as responsible human beings..

ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to radio contact coordinator in Gorizia and in Rome to set up a direct shared contact with assistance from ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD, installed at Casale Monferrato Airport, Piemonte, Italy. Mr. Antonio Baldin IW3QKU and Mr. Marcelo Teruel IK0USO, radio contact coordinators for this ARISS event, decided in favour of this set up. The questions were read by the students at both schools. An audience of about 500 students, teachers, visitors and media assisted to the contact at schools.

At 08:44 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was established by station IK0USO located in Rome, after 4 minutes by AOS due technical problem in main station, IW3QKU in Gorizia. Astronaut Paolo NESPOLI answered 8 questions read by students in Rome. At 10:17 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was again established by station IW3QKU with assistance from ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD also. Paolo NESPOLI answered 13 more questions and exchanged greetings. Before of LOS Nespoli received from earth the greetings form Italian students in Piemonte, Friuli, Venezia, Giulia, Lazio, Sardegna, Campania and Puglia regions at the occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Italian unification. The ISS link was provided via IK1SLD, IW3QKU and IK0USO ground stations connected with several regions by a teleconference, via phone line and VoIP.

The signal from the ISS was loud and clear all the time for both passes.

Regional and local media covered the events.

Streaming video was on (only for second pass):

http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia

ARISS contact was announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM8K51U5LG_Italy_0.html

Congratulations to both ARISS “IW3QKU”, “IK0USO” and “IK1SLD” teams!

73

Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF

ARISS mentor

Recording Gorizia
Recording Roma
Recording 150th Anniversary Italy