[TWIAR] ARRL.org - IMAX Film Space Station "Breathtaking," says ARISS International Chairman

[Greg Williams]

NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 22, 2002--ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO, used the words "fantastic" and "breathtaking" to describe the world
premiere of the IMAX film Space Station on April 16 and 17. The film, now
showing in selected theaters nationwide, includes a segment on the Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station program. ARISS set up a display
booth at the movie's opening at the National Air and Space Museum in
Washington, DC.
"It was pretty awesome to see Bill Shepherd [KD5GSL] talk to the Texas
students with our ARISS equipment in 3D," Bauer said afterward. "This is a
must see movie." Space Station is the first 3D IMAX space movie. The film
was made possible by NASA and is presented by Lockheed Martin and narrated
by Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise.

Seabrook Intermediate School in Texas provided the earthbound setting for
ARISS' role in the IMAX production. Footage with Shepherd answering a
question during a school contact was shot in January 2001 during Shepherd's
tour of duty as Expedition 1 commander. The question segment and the answer
segment then were matched up during editing for the final production.

Bauer said that seeing Space Station is the closest one can get to
experiencing space without actually going there. "It was spectacular from
the perspective that you really felt like you were there," he said.

Bauer said the ARISS display at the National Air and Space Museum was
well-visited following a news conference April 16, when the movie was
screened for the media. "This event and the IMAX film provides a very good
venue to demonstrate the tremendous value that Amateur Radio provides to the
general public and to our future--the students of today," Bauer said. Many
member of Congress, officials from NASA, IMAX and Lockheed Martin stopped by
the booth. "They were all very interested and supportive of what we do,"
Bauer said, adding, "ARISS did make the credits at the end of the film." He
said 21 members of the ARISS volunteer team attended and supported the
event.

There were some special guests too, among them Shepherd, who was the ISS
Expedition 1 crew commander; Yuri Usachev, the Expedition 2 commander, Brian
Duffy, N5WQW, an ardent SAREX/ARISS supporter on several shuttle flights;
Toni Meyers, the IMAX film producer; and Jack Dailey, the museum's curator.

"The comments were all glowing 'thank yous' for all your volunteer efforts
and the tremendous contacts with the students and with their families,"
Bauer said.

Following the news conference, Bauer said, one educator on hand "eloquently
communicated" the outstanding positive role that the movie will provide
young students, especially the ARISS contact scene. "She then went on to
praise the SAREX/ARISS team for the contact that her school, the Buzz Aldrin
Elementary school, had with the astronauts and the tremendous positives that
came out of this contact," he said.

"It is good to see we are continuing provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience
for both the students and the educators," Bauer said. He also thanked
everyone who made the film and the ARISS display a success.

"We now have a permanent legacy in film," he concluded.

Coinciding with the IMAX film debut on April 16, second through sixth-grade
students at The Quogue School in Quogue, New York, spoke via ham radio with
Dan Bursch, KD5PNU, aboard the ISS.

The movie opened to the general public April 19. For more information, visit
the IMAX Web site.--AMSAT News Service provided some information for this
report