Credits: ARISS
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and Italian students at the Istituto Comprensivo 1 Chieti in Chieti, Abruzzo. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
Istituto Comprensivo Chieti is an urban school in Chieti with about 1,000 students ages 4-14 years. The school’s STEAM program includes lessons and projects for students at every grade level in the school. Previous school years have engaged students in robotics, and enabled students to participate in the INDIRE project (coding and robotics). Students have also participated in project ESA “Zero Mission- Astro Pi”, and in 2021 met with ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano. Members of the amateur radio team from Pescara are supporting the school for this ARISS contact, including instructing students on the equipment required to make the contact and installation of the communication equipment.
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask questions of Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, amateur radio call sign IZØUDF. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. 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 relay ground station.
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is located in Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy. Amateur radio operators will use the call sign IZ6BMP to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for April 29, 2022 at 9:49 am CEST (Chieti) (07:49UTC, 3:49 am EDT, 2:49 am CDT, 1:49 am MDT, 12:49 am PDT).
As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. Come si é sentita quando é stato annunciato a lei di andare alla base spaziale?
2. Quando torni dallo spazio, in cui non c’è gravità, alla terra che sensazioni hai?
3. Che effetto ti fa vedere la terra girare?
4. Che tipo di test hai dovuto superare per entrare nella NASA?
5. Ti sei mai sentita sotto pressione?
6. Chi o che cosa ti ha ispirato e dato la forza di perseguire la carriera di astronauta?
7. Quali studi si devono fare per diventare un astronauta e in particolare tu quali hai fatto?
8. Quanto tempo ha impiegato per entrare nella ESA?
9. Quali competenze tecniche e informatiche sono necessarie e perché? Attraverso quali corsi di studio si acquisiscono?
10. Quanto dura l’addestramento per andare nello spazio?
11. E’ stato difficile abituarsi a muoversi con la mancanza di gravità nello spazio?
12. Com’è possibile la trasmissione di dati dallo spazio alla terra in tempo reale?
13. Qual’è il tempo massimo per rimanere sulla stazione spaziale?
14. È mai stato sperimentato un metodo per vedere esattamente cosa c’è dentro la luna?
15. Quanto impegno e sacrificio è necessario per diventare astronauti? Quale gioia si prova ad essere astronauti?
Translation
1. How did you feel when you were told you would go to the space station?
2. How do you feel when you come back on the Earth, when you come back to gravity?
3. How do you feel when you see the Earth rotation?
4. What kind of test did you have to pass to enter NASA?
5. Have you ever felt under pressure?
6. Who or what inspired you and gave you the strength to pursue your career as astronaut?
7. What studies do you have to do to become an astronaut and in particular which ones have you done?
8. How long did it take you to enter the ESA?
9. Which technical and I.T. skills are needed and why? How can you get them?
10. How long is the training to go to space?
11. Was it hard to learn to move in lack of gravity in space?
12. How can data be transmitted from space to Earth in real time?
13. What is the maximum time to stay on a space station?
14. Have people ever tested a way to see what’s inside the moon exactly?
15. How much effort and sacrifice does it take to become an astronaut? What joy does it feel to be an astronaut?