[ARRL-OK] Oklahoma, Brazil Youngsters Visit International Space Station via Ham Radio

[N7HRT at aol.com]

>From the ARRL web page:

http://www.remote.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/01/05/1/?nc=1

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 5, 2005.  Youngsters in Oklahoma and Brazil had the 
opportunity over the recent holiday period to question International Space Station 
(ISS) Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, about life in space. Both 
direct 2-meter contacts with NA1SS came off largely without a hitch, and Chiao 
answered all questions posed by each group. Sponsoring the contacts was the 
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Students in 
grades 3 through 12 from schools in Oklahoma and Texas gathered December 22 at 
the Tulsa Air and Space Museum (TASM) for their contact. 
"The kids we able to work in all 20 question and as well as wishing the ISS 
crew a merry Christmas," said Tulsa Repeater Organization (TRO) President and 
ARRL Oklahoma Public Information Coordinator Mark Conklin, N7XYO. "Wow!" 
Conklin said the event's goal was to stimulate the youngsters' imaginations 
regarding space exploration and scientific discovery. Students selected to ask 
questions had attended TASM's summer aerospace camps. They were from Tulsa and 
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Austin, Texas. 
Among other things, the kids asked Chiao whether the G-forces from leaving 
Earth's atmosphere cause you to have little red spots on your face--G-measles, 
how far along the ISS construction was and the space station's expected life, 
and what are the benefits of civilian space travel. 
The museum worked in cooperation with members of TRO and AMSAT to arrange the 
contact. TRO's Bill Griffin, NI5X, and AMSAT's Keith Pugh, W5IU, set up the 
Earth station at TASM. Pugh served as the control operator, and the station 
used the TRO WA5LVT call sign for the QSO. Museum Curator Kim Jones and Conklin 
worked for more than two years to make the project a reality. 
TASM Executive Director Katheryn Pennington said statistics show that 
learning and retention of knowledge improves when children are personally involved. 
The ARISS contact, she said, provided an opportunity not only to broaden the 
horizons of youngsters but those of the adults who listened in. 
"With this knowledge, teachers and parents can further assist children in 
their understanding of the relationship of life on earth and how it relates to 
life in space," she said, "expanding this experience by relating it to science, 
geography, history, and physics." 
Among those looking on were several news media representatives, including 
three Tulsa TV stations, two newspapers and CQ magazine.