[LeArc] ARLS009 Astronaut Fits in Same-Day Chats with Students on Both Sides of Atlantic

[Joe Rossmiller]

SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS009
ARLS009 Astronaut Fits in Same-Day Chats with Students on Both=20
Sides of Atlantic

ZCZC AS09 =20
QST de W1AW =20
Space Bulletin 009  ARLS009
>From ARRL Headquarters =20
Newington, CT  March 13, 2003
To all radio amateurs

SB SPACE ARL ARLS009
ARLS009 Astronaut Fits in Same-Day Chats with Students on Both=20
Sides of Atlantic

It was an Amateur Radio two-for-one special March 7 when
International Space Station Science Officer Don Pettit, KD5MDT,
spoke with students at technology-oriented schools in Italy and in
Texas.

The contacts with NA1SS on board the ISS were arranged as part of
the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
program. Questions from students at the Istituto Tecnico Industriale
Malignani (IV3FLG) in Cervignano-del-Friuli, northern Italy, covered
many topics, such as use of radio frequencies on the station and
traveling in space in a 10-minute QSO, said ARISS Mentor Peter
Kofler, IN3GHZ.

The technical team of a local amateur radio club set up a satellite
station and implemented two amateur television links on the 23-cm
band with two other schools in the area to increase the audience
from 100 students to a total of about 600.

That same morning, kids in Texas also were able to quiz Pettit via
Amateur Radio. At Krueger Middle School of Applied Technologies in
San Antonio, 10 students asked two questions each of Pettit via the
school's club station, KD5OMG.

"It couldn't have gone better!" exclaimed Coordinating Teacher James
Goslin, KJ5QB.

Pettit fielded questions about living in space, solar energy and
plant biology experiments.
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