ARISS contact planned with Atheneum in Borgloon, Belgium

Friday January 13, 2012 at approximately 12:36 UTC , which is 13.36 CEWT, an educational ARISS contact is planned with students at Atheneum Borgloon in Belgium. Amateur radio station K6DUE, located in Maryland, USA, will operate the radio contact.

Koninklijk Atheneum Borgloon is a secondary school in Borgloon, a city in Belgium. Student population of 165 is spread across one campus. The school offers general and technical courses.

One pupil introduced the school to radiostation UBA-RST. Her father suggested to apply for an educational ARISS contact with astronaut Andre Kuipers aboard the International Space Station. This request was accepted and the space conversation was carefully prepared.

The school’s policy is to stimulate interest for science through educational subjects and extracurricular activities (school trips such as visits to the Planetarium in Genk and Eurospace Center in Transinne). Some students decide to take a higher education in sciences and establish a professional career in academics or scientific research. In the 6th grade, the geography classes cover the subject of cosmography. This course deals with the way we receive information from outer space.

Participating in this radio contact is an outstanding means to make pupils, teachers and parents more aware of what lies beyond our planet’s borders. This event will foster the students’ attention on the process of scientific research. In this respect, the radio contact with Andre Kuipers during his space mission is a unique opportunity for the students.

The space conversation will be conducted in Dutch.

The contact will be broadcast on EchoLink AMSAT (node 101 377) and JK1ZRW (node 277 208) Conference servers, as well as on IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010.

Students will ask as many of the following questions as time allows.

1. Kimberly (17): Welke opleiding hebt u gevolgd om deze ruimtemissie voor te bereiden?

2. Dafné (13): Hoe lang duurt de reis van de aarde tot het ISS?

3. Michelle (17): Hoeveel bedraagt de snelheid van het ISS?

4. Jana (13): Wat is de binnen- en buitentemperatuur van het ISS?

5. Wouter (17): Welke taal wordt er gesproken in het ISS?

6. Elena (13): Kan u een voorbeeld geven van het wetenschappelijk onderzoek dat u uitvoert?

7. Rajinder (17): Hoeveel personen kunnen er verblijven in het ISS en met hoeveel bent u momenteel?

8. Maarten (13): Hoe groot is jullie leefruimte?

9. Ellen (17): Wat zijn de dagelijkse taken en is er vrije tijd?

10. Naomi (13): Wat gebeurt er als u ziek wordt; is er medicatie aan boord?

11. Myrthe (13): Hoeveel maaltijden nuttigt u per dag en is het voedsel lekker?

12. Jinte (13): Waarom slaapt u rechtopstaand en niet liggend?

13. Jo-Elle (13): Draagt u elke dag propere kleren en hoe wast u zich?

14. Lore (13): Hoe komt u aan zuurstof/lucht in het ISS?

15. Lies (13): Zit een ruimtepak goed?

16. Ravi (13): Kunt u sporten in de ruimte? Zo ja, welke sport verkiest u?

17. Glenn (13): Hoe verloopt de communicatie met uw familie?

18. Jens (13): Wat hebt u meegenomen in uw reiskoffer?

19. Hanne (13): Hoe verloopt een ruimtewandeling en gaat u er een maken?

20. Gitte (13): Wat gaat u doen na deze ruimtemissie?

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.

Gaston Bertels, ON4WF

ARISS Chairman