This image of the International Space Station in orbit was taken from the Space Shuttle Endeavour prior to docking. Credit: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Upcoming ARISS contact with Marie-Rivier, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Marie-Rivier, Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the 13th of November.

The event is scheduled to begin at 16:31 UTC.

The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and VK4KHZ. The contact should be audible over the portions of Australia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English and/or French.

École Marie-Rivier, pavillon Legendre located in the neighbourhood of Saint-Michel Nord on Montreal island, is a primary school with over 500 students (ages 4-13) where pre-school to grade 8 levels are taught.

For this contact, the number expected will be well over 700 in attendance including parents, local VIPs etc. The school feels very privileged to have been afforded this opportunity and sees it as a wonderful way to motivate the students to believe that anything is possible. The school consist of 2 separate buildings and for this event, those students that cannot be accommodated within the gym of the school, a closed circuit broadcast of the event will occur within the school to those students in the other part of the school.

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

1. What is your fascination with space?
2. How did you become an astronaut?
3. What are your duties/functions on the space station?
4. Is it difficult working in weightless conditions?
5. Will the Space Station help us to travel further into space

6. Have you used the Canadarm?
7. How many astronauts can the space station support?
8. Have you ever done a space walk?
9. What happens to debris in orbit, does it float around forever?
10. Does a fear of heights affect an astronaut outside of the Space Station?

11. How is the direction and movement of the space station controlled?
12. What do you miss most about being up in space for so long?
13. How long can someone stay on the space station?
14. Did the trip to the Space Station scare you?
15. How cold or hot is it in space?

16. Can you see objects from the space station better than on earth?
17. Have you ever seen anything unusual from the space station?
18. What is your greatest fear while on the space station?
19. Was going into space a childhood dream?
20. Will you go back into space again?

1. Qu'es-cequivousfascinedansl'espace?
2. Comment êtes vous devenus un astronaute?
3. Quelles sont vos responsabilités abord de la station?
4. Est-ce difficile de travailler abord de la station Internationale?
5. Comment est-ce que la station internationale contribue à l'exploration de l'espace?

6. Avez vous déjà employé le bras robotique canadien?
7. Combien d'astronautes vivent abord de la station spatiale?
8. Avez vous faite une sortie dans l'espace?
9. Qu'est ce qui arrive aux débris qui flottent dans l'espace?
10. Est ce que la peur des hauteurs affecte un astronaute quand il est a l'extérieur de la station?

11. Peut on contrôler la direction et le mouvement de la station?
12. Que manquez vous le plus pendant votre séjour dans l'espace?
13. Combien de temps peut- on vivre abord de la station internationale?
14. Avez vous eu peur pendant votre voyage vers la station internationale?
15. Quelle est la température à l'extérieur de la station, froid ou chaud?

16. Pouvez vous mieux voir des objets dans l'espace mieux à partir de la station internationale ou sur la terre?
17. Avez vous déjà aperçue quelque chose d'inhabituelle à l'extérieur de la station?
18. Qu elle est votre plus grande peur abord de la station internationale?
19. Est-ce que c'était votre rêve d'aller dans l'espace?
20. Allez vous retourner un jour dans l'espace?

Information about the upcoming ARISS contacts can be found at http://www.ariss.org/upcoming.htm#NextContact.

Next planned event(s):
1. Flanders Dist. of Creativity & Dept. of Ed. of the Flemish Govt., Leuven, Belgium Tue 17 Nov 09 13:44 UTC.  Watch for possible Echolink and IRLP coverage.

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 on-board 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.

Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada).

Thank you & 73,

David - AA4KN