Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS)

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Great Space Shuttle Pictures-3800 kB and Power Point Presentation
Recording Of Wairarapa Home School-WAV 2 500 kB
Richard Garriott Flight Information-CMS

ARISS

After a wait of 18 months New Zealands first school made contact with the International Space Station via Amateur radio. On Thursday 20th November 2008 at 5.30 pm St Teresa's school in Featherston linked up with astronaut Mike Fincke KE5AET. 21 students from St Teresa's asked their questions, and received answers in the 10 minute communications window. Being the first New Zealand school made the important event even more important. On Wednesday 26th November 2008 at 3.22 pm the Wairarapa Home school Association made contact with astronaut Mike Fincke KE5AET. The Wairarapa Home School Association was operating from a home in Carterton, all 15 children asked their questions and received answers in the available time of 10 minutes. This contact is possably the first Home School contact with the International Space Station. More school contacts with the ISS are in the pipe line, but just when, is unknown. Wairarapa Home School Association (WHSA) Contact was done on Wednesday 26-November-2008. The ground station was in Gendon VK4, and operated by Shane VK4KHZ. At the New Zealand end was Peter Norden ZL2SJ.

TA Real Live Recording of the Wairarapa Home School Association Contac recording is in WAV file format and 2.5 megabytes in size.

WHSA to ISS WAV Recording

FROM ARISS

Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, to communicate with Students and Ham Radio Operators World-wide through the Amateur Radio Station on-board the International Space Station (ISS....

Find Out More About Richard Garriott W5KWQ>>

ARISS

A small group of dedicated Amateur's world wide have run the ARISS program since 2001, which is sponsored by NASA, ARRL, and AMSAT to give students and young people a chance to speak live with the crew on board the International Space Station as it circles 370 kilometres above the earth at a speed 27,000 kph.

NZART has received an invitation to join this program and is enthusiastic about this activity, the project will be part of the recruitment process to encourage new Amateurs and perhaps a career in radio and electronics.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our branches to become involved in a project that includes your local school, Scout group, Amateur Radio and the International Space Station.

Many schools around the world have taken part in this project with a great deal of success. Can your branch appoint a spokesperson to explore the interest at your local school, and or scout group.

It is a Science and Technology Education program with community and Amateur Radio participation.An ideal way to promote Amateur Radio.

At present ARISS is arranging one to two contacts most weeks world wide. There are exceptions, the ISS is not available when there is a crew change, Extra Vehicular Activity or visits with the space shuttle to name a few. There is a waiting period of some months at present, but there is no time like the present to "test the water" for interest.

The contact period can last from about 5 to 15 Minutes, pupils generate there own questions to ask the astronauts as the ISS moves across the sky.

ARISS-ZL(NZ) Coordinator

A Coordinator for New Zealand has been appointed and is well on the wayplanning for future school contacts, he is Peter Norden ZL2SJ. Peter is able to advise interested people, clubs, schools, how to go about registering for an ARISS contact here in New Zealand.

The official web page for ARISS is, http://www.rac.ca/ariss/

E-mail zl2sj@nzart.org.nz?subject=E_MAIL_FROM_ARISS_PAGE_NZART_WEB or

write to the Callbook address ZL2SJ or

Phone 06 308 6970.

20101210