An educational radio contact is planned with Challenger Learning Center National Conference, Framingham, MA, telebridge via VK4ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The scheduled crewmember is Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN The ARISS mentor is KA3HDO Contact is go for: Wed 2026-08-12 16:31:39 UTC 58 deg
RX only!
Proposed questions generated by Challenger Learning Center National Conference students: 1. After spending so much time looking back at Earth, what’s one thing you think everyone on the ground should appreciate more? 2. Being an astronaut on the ISS is about more than just STEM. How does teamwork play an important role in everyday life on board the ISS? What are other skills that are very important to a successful mission? 3. What daily task is much harder in microgravity than people would expect? 4. What skills or experiences do you think are most important for someone who dreams of becoming an astronaut? 5. It has often been said that if you were not environmentally aware before going into orbit, your awareness is piqued while in orbit. What views of the earth are the most striking to you, reinforcing our need to be better stewards of our planet? 6. From your experience, what is the most dramatic physical change you’ve seen in astronauts after a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station, and how long does it typically take for them to recover once they return to Earth? 7. With all of the extensive training astronauts receive, was there anything that still surprised you once you arrived in space? 8. Sometimes we all need alone time to decompress, think, dream, and just be by ourselves. How do you accomplish that on a space station? 9. Has space food improved since the freeze-dried ice cream bars? What is your favorite meal? 10. Do you remember the moment when you believed you could become an astronaut? If so, tell us about it. 11. What sports do you think would be the best to play in microgravity? 12. If you’re building a playlist of non-space-themed songs to play on the ISS, what three songs are absolutely necessary? 13. What the Astronaut Corps has looked for in candidates has changed with the goals of the space program: from bold adventure-seekers for the Gemini and Apollo missions, to collaborative, process-minded folks to conduct experiments on the ISS. What do you think the most important traits for astronaut candidates will be in the age of building permanent structures on the Moon and long-range journeys to Mars? 14. What surprised you most about actually living in space compared to what you imagined it would be like? 15. What experiment or research are you working on right now, and why does it matter for people back on Earth?