DOUBLE CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT PAOLO NESPOLI, IZ0JPA WITH “DA VINCI”
AND “TEDESCHI” SCHOOLS, ITALY
Saturday, 02 April, 2011 at 08:34 UTC and 10:10, i.e. 10:34 and 12:10
local time “Istituto Tecnico Industriale Statale Leonardo da Vinci” and
“Istituto Comprensivo Scolastico G. Tedeschi”, Pratola Peligna, l'Aquila, Italy, established double ARISS 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 “Leonardo da Vinci” Institute
and the ““G. Tedeschi”
middle school operated the contact with callsign I6IBE.
The school is named to Leonardo Da Vinci and is located in the Peligna
valley, about 60 km from the city of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. It's a
Higher Technical Institute for the study of electronics, telecommunications,
chemical materials, mechanical and mechatronics. The Institute is attended by
students aged 14-19 and has 22 technical laboratories, 1 gymnasium and 1 soccer
field and 72 classrooms connected to the Internet. The school collaborates with
the local radio-amateurs.
The Comprehensive School "Tedeschi" in
Pratola Peligna comprizes a school population that goes from nursery to middle
school. The school has more than 700 pupils and students. For
many years, students participate in various cultural and sporting activities.
The school has a close relationship with the "Leonardo Da Vinci"
Institute.
ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF proposed to radio contact
coordinator in Pratola Peligna to set up a direct shared contact with
assistance from Telebridge station IZ7RTN, installed at “Cittadella
Mediterranea della Scienza” in Bari, Puglia,
Italy. Mr. Ivo Brugnera I6IBE, radio contact coordinator for this ARISS event,
decided in favour of this set up. The questions were read by the students of
the both schools. The contacts took place at “Leonardo da
Vinci” Institute where an audience of about 100 students,
teachers, visitors and media assisted to the ARISS event.
At
08:34 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was established by station I6IBE. Astronaut
Paolo NESPOLI answered 11 questions per direct radio contact and 5 more questions
per telebridge via IZ7RTN. At 10:10 UTC, contact with IR0ISS was again
established by ARISS Telebridge station IK1SLD, installed at Casale Monferrato
Airport, Piemonte, Italy. Paolo NESPOLI answered 7 more questions. The ISS link
during second pass was established with very low elevation for IK1SLD. Assistance by IZ7RTN and by
IK1SLD was needed, due local obscurations. Before the end of the first pass,
the ISS was behind the mountains. During the second pass, there was no ISS
visibility from Pratola, but more then 5 minutes for IK1SLD.
Regional and local media and newspapers covered the event.
Streaming video was for both contacts on:
http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia
ARISS contact was announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMP937UPLG_Italy_0.html
Congratulations to ARISS team in Pratola Peligna, ARISS Puglia Team and
IK1SLD Team!
73
Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF
ARISS mentor
photo 2
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photo 4
photo 5
Audio recording 1
Audio recording 2
