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W4DPH > SAT 23.03.03 03:34l 51 Lines 2255 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-082.06
Read: DB0FHN GUEST
Subj: Persistence Makes Perfect for Space Station QSO
Path: DB0FHN<DB0ZWI<DB0HOT<DB0ERF<DB0FBB<DB0GOS<ON0AR<ON0AR<VE3FJB<WB0TAX<
W4DPH
Sent: 030323/0136Z @:W4DPH.#TPA.FL.USA.NOAM #:51526 [CLW] FBB $:ANS-082.06
From: W4DPH@W4DPH.#TPA.FL.USA.NOAM
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 082.06 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. March 23, 2003
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-082.06
Persistence paid off March 11 when students at Eugene Field School in Park
Ridge, Illinois, finally got to quiz astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT, about
life aboard the International Space Station. One earlier effort failed when
the earth station and NA1SS ended up on different 2-meter frequencies due to
a communication breakdown. The contact, arranged by the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program, also was postponed several
times because of schedule conflicts.
Pettit answered 19 questions put to him by the students. One topic
discussed was Pettit's interest and research into thin films of water,
which, he said, look much like soap bubbles in space. He also described how
a tin of food that would normally float off the table while he was eating
would stay in place if he applied a small drop of water to the tin's bottom.
Pettit explained that the surface tension of the water will keep the
container from floating off.
Students expressed their delight with a round of applause at the contact's
completion. Audio of the contact was distributed to five other elementary
schools and two middle schools in the suburban Chicago school district.
Several local TV and radio affiliates showed up to record the contact and
interview the students afterwards.
"This was special for everyone here," said Tony Clishem, a curriculum
coordinator at one of the schools listening in on the contact.
Eugene Field School counts among its alumni former First Lady and now US
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and actor Harrison Ford. The school has 600
students in kindergarten through grade 5.
The contact was handled via W6SRJ at Santa Rosa Junior College in
California. Earth station operators were Bill Hillendahl, KH6GJV, Herb
Sullivan, K6QXB, and Don Dalby, KE6UAY. Two-way audio was handled via a
WorldCom teleconferencing circuit. Tim Bosma, W6ISS, moderated the ARISS
QSO.
ARISS is an international project with participation by ARRL, NASA and
AMSAT. For more information, visit the ARISS Web site at
[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.]
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