Posted by Mike on 2/10/2007, 6:31 am Youngsters at a museum in Ottawa, Canada, and an Indian Reservation school "I think what I like the most is the view of the earth and also floating Williams told the students that doing a spacewalk "is amazing, because the She explained that it took her a little time after arriving to become All told, Williams was able to answer 20 of the students' questions during Media outlets -- both French and English-language -- included four TV The following day, in what may have marked the first ARISS school contact Members of the Siouxland Amateur Radio Association volunteered their time A Sioux City, Iowa, TV station reported on the event, including interviews
YOUNGSTERS IN CANADA AND NEBRASKA GET ANSWERS FROM SPACE VIA HAM RADIO
in Nebraska joined a long and growing list of students who've had the chance
to speak with the International Space Station crew via Amateur Radio. The
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged
the contacts between NA1SS and VE3JW at the Canada Science and Technology
Museum on January 24, and KB0GEH at Winnebago Public School on January 25.
Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, KD5PLB, greeted the students
from École Élémentaire Publique Le Prélude in both English and French. One
of the kindergarten through sixth graders wondered what Williams enjoyed
most about being in space.
around," Williams responded. "Floating is really fun. You can do flips in
the air, and it's just incredible."
spacesuit is like its own little spacecraft, and you have a 360-degree view
of not only the earth but also the galaxy and all of the stars." Among the
things she misses in space is her dog "Gorby," named after former Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
comfortable about living in microgravity. "I finally am able to do multiple
tasks at once and not forget things," she said, "so it's taken me really a
while to figure it out -- probably a month."
the nearly 10-minute ISS pass. The audience of 175 included two members of
Parliament, an Ottawa city councilor, the chairman of the Ottawa School
Board and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) President Earle Smith, VE6NM.
stations to cover the event. Steve McFarlane, VE3BTD, was the ARISS-Canada
mentor for the contact.
with students on a US Indian Reservation, 20 grade 2 through grade 11
students attending Nebraska's Winnebago Public School posed their questions
to Williams, who managed to handle 19 out of 20 during the pass. Every
participant was able to ask at least one question. The youngsters'
curiosity ran the gamut, from "space dirt" to "space junk."
and expertise to set up the Earth station at the school. Math and science
teacher Terresa Greenleaf, KB0GEH, loaned her call sign for the occasion.
with the students, and The Sioux City Journal also covered the contact, said
ARISS Mentor Keith Pugh, W5IU. Other students and members of the Winnebago
Public School faculty also were on hand. teacher, and media.
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