ARISS News Release
Dave Jordan, AA4KN
July 19, 2022—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 Japanese students at the Kitaogura Elementary School located in Uji, Japan. 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.
Kitaogura Elementary School (about 207 students) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and will mark it by hosting this ARISS contact for their students who are also interested in amateur radio. Their students’ enthusiasm for the hobby includes fifth grade students who, in 2020, operated a ham station (callsign 8J3YAA/3) that introduced amateur radio to the surrounding community. Members of the amateur radio clubs (KANSAI ARISS PROJECT & JARL Kyoto Club) are supporting the school for this ARISS contact.
This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio and allow students to ask questions of Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, amateur radio call sign KO5MOS. 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 ground station.
The amateur radio ground station for this contact is in Uji, Japan. Amateur radio operators, using call sign 8N35ØK, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for July 21, 2022 at 5:38:43 pm JST (Uji, Japan) (8:38:43 UTC, 4:38 am EDT, 3:38 am CDT, 2:38 am MDT, 1:38 am PDT).
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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
- Why did you want to become an astronaut?
- How can I become an astronaut?
- What was the most difficult part of your training before going into space?
- How did you feel during launch?
- How long does it take to get from Earth to the ISS?
- Is it hot or cold in space?
- How large is the ISS?
- Do you have your own room in the ISS?
- What is something you wanted to take to space but couldn’t?
- How do you eat and drink in space?
- Do you have any space food that you eat on special occasions such as your birthday or the last day of a mission?
- Is there a bath in the ISS?
- How do you sleep in zero gravity?
- How do you wash your clothes after changing?
- How do you spend your free time?
- How do you enjoy amateur radio on the ISS?
- What is the most difficult thing to do in space?
- What kind of view can you see from the ISS?
- When will you come back to the Earth?
- If you get used to weightlessness, do you have any problems when you return to Earth?