DOUBLE COMBINED DIRECT AND TELEBRIDGE CONTACT FOR ESA ASTRONAUT LUCA PARMITANO, KF5KDP WITH TWO SCHOOLS IN ITALY.

Saturday, 19 October, 2013 at 15:55 UTC, 17:55 local time and at 17:33 UTC, 19:33 local time, "Istituto Comprensivo, Marzocchino Di Seravezza" and "Comprensivo Camaiore 3, Camaiore", Italy established a combined telebridge and direct contact with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP, onboard the International Space Station.

The Comprehensive School "Camaiore" 3, with a school population of about 900 students, is located in the town of "Camaiore", and consists of "Capezzano" Childhood, Primary and Middle school, "Vado" Childhood and Primary school, "Frati" Primary school and "Santa Lucia" Childhood. The territory of Camaiore is delimited by the Apuan mountains and the sea, an environment in the foothill slopes towards the Versilia coast. The schools of the Comprehensive Institute serve the population of the central area, characterized by a large plane and some fraction on the first hills.

Mentor Francesco De Paolis IKØWGF proposed to the Radio Contact coordinator a combined direct and telebridge contact, in order to overcome the problem of setup for the ground station in one school. Additionally they proposed both schools to share the event, alternating questions from both sites. Mr. Alessandro Tesconi IK5EHI, coordinating the event, agreed and set up a combined direct and telebridge. The questions were read, alternatively, by “Istituto Comprensivo, Marzocchino Di Seravezza" and "Comprensivo Camaiore 3”. More than 300 students, parents, visitors and media attended to both events.

Contact was established at 15:55 UTC UTC, 17:55 UTC local time, with IRØISS. Astronaut Luca Parmitano answered 15 questions and before LOS the radio contact coordinator proposed to astronaut complete the sequence of the questions during the following orbit. Parmitano agreed.
At 17:33 UTC, 19:33 local time, contact was established again with Luca Parmitano, who answered the additional 13 questions and before LOS exchanged the greetings with both schools.
Signals from the ISS was loud and clear during the both ISS passes. 

Regional Television, local media and newspapers covered the event.

Streaming video on https://www.livestream.com/amsat_italia

The event was announced on ESA Portal - National News:
http://www.esa.int/ita/ESA_in_your_country/Italy/Doposcuola_con_l_astronauta_italiano_Luca_Parmitano_in_contatto_radio_con_Camaiore

Congratulations to IQ5VR and IK1SLD Teams!

73

Francesco De Paolis, IKØWGF

ARISS Mentor