For immediate release – Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the St. Francis Xavier High School located in Gloucester, Ontario.
ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special Amateur Radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with Amateur Radio licences aboard the ISS.
St Francis Xavier High School is a school of 2,150 students in grades 7 through 12. In anticipation of this ARISS contact, Grade 9 students will participate in specially designed lessons about the ISS, the astronauts and radio communication. This contact will form a key part of the “Study of the Universe and Space Exploration” science curriculum for the 9th grade class.
This will be a telebridge contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of Astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg, KB3HTZ. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
The ARISS Amateur Radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Andergrove, Mackay, Queensland, Australia. The Amateur Radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the call sign VK4ISS to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
The Moderator will be Brian Jackson, VE6JBJ, and the Mentor on site is Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD.
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for May 26, 2023 at 12:32:49 pm EDT (ON, CA) (16:32:49 UTC, 11:32 am CDT, 10:32 am MDT, 9:32 am PDT).
List of Questions:
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
- What do you have to do to become an astronaut?
- What does it feel like in microgravity?
- Have you ever come across a situation you didn’t train for?
- Do you have to clean surfaces of dust and debris like on Earth?
- What if you get sick in space? How do you get treated?
- How do you live in space? (Food, water, hygiene)
- Do you have to wear those blue jumpsuits on the ISS or can you wear what you want?
- What’s one of your favourite activities to do in space?
- What was the most memorable moment you have had while in space?
- Can astronauts lose their spaceship?
- Do you think we will make it to Mars one day?
- Is there a smell in space?
- Can you bring your own food to the ISS?
- How do you stay in shape while on the ISS?
- Have you ever lost something during a spacewalk or lost any repairing part in space?
- What are the human-made things you can see from space?
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States and other international space agencies and international Amateur Radio organizations around the world including Radio Amateurs of Canada.
The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics.
ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crew members onboard the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, firsthand, how Amateur Radio and crew members on the International Space Station can energize youth and instill an interest in science, technology, and learning.
Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and Amateur Radio.
Further information on the ARISS program is available below and on their website.