SUCCESSFUL ARISS CONTACT
AT Teodoro Mommsen Middle School, Rome,
Italy
Monday December 19, 2011 at 08:43 UTC,
which is 09:43 CEWT, Teodoro Mommsen Middle School, Rome, Italy established an
ARISS contact with NASA astronaut Daniel C. Burbank KC5ZSX onboard the
International Space Station. Astronaut Daniel C. Burbank operated with ISS
callsign NA1SS. This was a telebridge contact performed by ARISS ground station
LU1CGB, located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Mommsen middle school is located in
the district “Appio-Latino”, in the south of Rome and is composed of three
complexes located on the edge of the “Caffarella” Park. The school endorses the
aims of Article 3 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic and those
suggested by UNESCO for the formation of the citizen. The school is attended by
about 800 students aged 11 - 13.
ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis, IK0WGF
proposed to the radio contact coordinator and co-Mentor for this event to set
up a telebridge contact. Mr. Marcelo Teruel, IK0USO the contact coordinator,
decided in favor of this setup. The ARISS event was excellently prepared by Mr. Stefano Castriotta,
IW0CZC and Mr. Giordano Giordani, IK0XFD (teaching and set-up). Mr. Gaston
Bertels, ON4WF moderated the session. The questions were read by the students
at Teodoro Mommsen Middle School where an audience of about 80 students,
teachers, visitors participated to the ARISS event.
At 08:43 UTC, contact with NA1SS was
established by station LU1CGB and the operator presented the event to NASA
astronaut Daniel C. Burbank. Using the amateur station aboard the ISS
Service Module, the astronaut answered 16 questions prepared by students and
exchanged greetings. During the pass the signal from ISS was loud and clear.
The event was covered by Media also.
Streaming video was for
both contacts on:
http://www.livestream.com/AMSAT_Italia
The video is here:
http://www.livestream.com/amsat_italia/video?clipId=pla_47be5d99-fe7a-4b1a-967c-e58fabbb97aa
ARISS contact was
announced by web story on ESA Portal - National News:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMQIL8XZVG_Italy_0.html
Congratulations to ARISS Roma Team and to
Telebridge Station LU1CGB!
73,
Francesco – IK0WGF & Marcelo – IK0USO
ARISS mentors