ARISS contact planned February 28, 2013 – Downlink signals readable in Europe

An International Space Station school contact has been planned Thursday February 28, 2013 with participants at 4th Dimotiko Scholeio Chaidariou, Chaidari (near Athens), Greece. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 09:42 UTC , which is 10:42 CEWT and 11:42 EEWT. Astronaut Tom Marshburn KE5HOC will answer students’ questions.

The contact will be a direct radio contact operated by J41ISS. Interested parties in Europe are invited to listen to dowlink signals on 145.800 MHz FM. The contact will be conducted in English.

School Presentation:

Our school is located in Chaidari, a suburb in the north-west of Athens. It was constructed in 1978, but it is now being renovated so as to be more energy efficient. It is a two-storey building with 16 classrooms, a Head office and a stuff room.

It serves 256 pupils, aged between 6 and 12 years old, from 1st Grade through 6th Grade. It is stuffed by a headmistress and 24 teachers, 12 of whom teach all subjects required in the curriculum (that is: Greek Language, Mathematics, Geography, History, Science, Religious Education) plus two Physical Education teachers, a Music lessons teacher, two English language teachers, a French language teacher, a German language teacher, a teacher of Art, a teacher for Theatre, an Information & Technology teacher and a teacher responsible for the afternoon zone study. There is also a teacher who helps those pupils with special educational problems. The official lessons are in the morning (Monday – Friday) start at 8:10a.m. and finish at 2:00p.m. All pupils attend morning lessons, but those pupils whose both parents work, stay on at school and they study and prepare their homework for the next day starting at 12:30 p.m. and finish at 4:15p.m.

Our school has constantly been taking part in various projects such as Environmental projects, Health projects, Music and Sports events and any activity that stimulates and advances the students mentally or physically. Our students have won a lot of prizes and awards, too.

Two years ago our school participated in “Comenius”, a European program in collaboration with other European schools from France, Spain, Norway, Italy, etc. The project was “Parks and Gardens of our Cities” and all the students were very keen on working on it, producing excellent results.

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

1. Ioanna: What do you eat or drink while in space?

2. Irene: How long can you travel nonstop?

3. Irida: What do you do in case of emergency?

4. Stefanos: How do you bathe and use the toilet?

5. Aris: How and where do you sleep?

6. Fotini: Are long duration space flights lonely?

7. Nikolaos: Do you contact your family?

8. Konstantina: If you get ill while in spaceship, what do you do? Is there a doctor?

9. Ioannis: How long does it take the spaceship to come down on Earth?

10. George: What is the purpose of your experiments as far as mankind is concerned? Will they ever help people?

11. Maria: Why did you become an astronaut?

12. Konstantinos: How do you feel the moment you are taking off?

13. Nikoleta: Why is so much money spent on space traveling?

14. Gregory: Do you do physical exercises so as to keep fit? Do you follow a special programme?

15. Stella: Will you ever travel outside our solar system?

16. Aris: Will spaceships or other vessels ever travel at the speed of light?

17. Manolis: Have you detected any life existence there?

18. Evagelia: Is space travel dangerous?

19. Apostolos: Are stars dangerous?

20. Panagiotis: Have you grown any plants in space?

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