

Upcoming ARISS contact with R T Alderman, Calgary, AB,Canada

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at R T Alderman, Calgary, AB, Canada on 28 Sep. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 20:43 UTC.


The contact will be direct between NA1SS and VE6JBJ. The contact should be audible over portions of western Canada. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English.

In preparation for the radio contact with the international space station, teachers at R.T. Alderman Middle School have been speaking with their students about what constitutes a "powerful question". Students have been asked to generate questions that are both thought-provoking and open-ended. Students then submit their questions for the competition to see who will be selected for the contact.

After the radio contact, which involves every student in the school, core teachers will provide opportunities for students to debrief in class. Further, a series of assignments are being developed to reflect both the Alberta curricula and the radio contact experience. Everything from journal entries, computer research projects, skits, and other writing assignments will be required class work in the weeks following the contact. Some teachers are also considering having students design a mural to commemorate this occasion as a companion to the already existing Robert Thirsk mural in one of the stairwells. 


1. Have you discovered any signs of life in Space? 
2. How does it feel when you leave Earth during take-off and re-entry? 
3. How was the ISS constructed and how long did it take?
4. How do you stay fit and healthy in the Space Station?
5. Are there personal items that you brought with you into Space?
6. What is the best part of working with people from other countries?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an astronaut

   while on Earth or in Space?
8. When you decided you wanted to be an Astronaut what training and

   education did you have to do?
9. Have you ever experienced an emergency or crisis while in Space?
10.How has this mission impacted your relationship with your family?
11.What music do you listen to up there, if any?
12.How long do you typically sleep for, in a 24 hour period? 
13.How do you spend a typical day on board the ISS?
14.When you went to RTA did you ever wish you could travel into Space?
15.What is the distance from Earth that you orbit, and does this vary?
16.Do members of the crew typically gain or lose weight during the

   6 month mission and does that effect your preparations before you leave?
17.What physical and emotional stressors do you experience?
18.What is required to prepare for a 6 month mission in space?
19.Have there been any experiments in space where the outcome surprised you?




Pavilhão do Conhecimento - Ciência  Viva, Lisbon, Portugal, 

Thu, 01 Oct 09 14:20 UTC 


University of Liege, Liege, Belgium, 

Fri, 02 Oct 09 13:09 UTC

Scuola Secondaria 1° Grado "Alighieri -  Trevigi"
I-15033,  Casale Monferrato, Prov. Alessandria, Italy,

Fri, 02 Oct 09 14:46 UTC 

Boy Scouts of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada,

Sat, 03 Oct 09 18:07 UTC 






Thank you & 73,

David - AA4KN