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 Previous: American Association of Radio Enthusiasts Formed |  Next: The K7VVV Solar Update |
 Students at Quogue School on New York's Long Island spoke April 16 with Dan Bursch, KD5PNU, aboard the ISS. Teacher Roberta Keis, N2RBU, is at the right managing the queue of students. Warren Melhado, WM2Z, is seated at the station controls. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 18, 2002--Dan Bursch, KD5PNU, aboard the International Space Station this week took time out of a busier-than-usual schedule to answer questions via ham radio from an enthusiastic throng of elementary schoolers. The April 16 contact with Quogue School on New York's Long Island gave 10 youngsters a chance to pose 17 questions to Bursch. On April 11, astronaut Carl Walz, KC5TIE, was interviewed via ham radio by youngsters at Caribbean Preparatory School in Puerto Rico. Both contacts with NA1SS were arranged through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station--or ARISS--program.
"We don't get a whole lot of free time," Bursch acknowledged in response to a question from Emily Hubbard at Quogue School. "Right now the shuttle's docked, and we pretty much have no free time." A crowd of some 120 classmates and some 100 parents and other guests gathered in the school's auditorium to witness the Earth-to-space ham radio interview.
Sixth grader Colleen McKennet wanted to know how the crew got streaming video from Earth. Bursch replied that the crew used ProShare teleconferencing software aboard the ISS. Jared Carpenter wanted to know what DVDs the crew liked to watch. "Probably a mixture of comedy and action films," was Bursch's reply.
Third grader
Sara Garcia asked what foods would not be good in space. Bursch explained that
the worst foods were "anything that's crumbly" like cookies, because the crumbs
float around and get into everything.
 Former ARRL Hudson Division Director Stan Zak, K2JSO (right), Bill Scheibel, N2NFI, and Jay Buscemi, K2OVS, were part of the antenna crew. Zak recently moved to Long Island. [Frank Fallon, N2FF, Photos] |
Shouts and cheers erupted from the audience after signals from the ISS faded over the North Atlantic horizon. "We did it!," coordinating teacher Roberta Keis, N2RBU, said that after the excitement died down a bit. Keis said when the contact was over, the kids enjoyed one of the very foods not on the ISS menu--cookies! The post-contact celebration concluded several-months of classroom emphasis on space-related topics.
Members of the Peconic Amateur Radio Club set up the ground-station and antennas. ARRL Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, was on hand for the event. A WorldCom teleconferencing circuit carried audio to various listeners, including the MSNBC live audio/video Web site and a classroom in the Washington, DC, area where ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, was visiting. Amateurs using the IRLP (Internet Repeater Linking Project) listened in from around the world.
 Caribbean Preparatory School students spoke April 11 with astronaut Carl Walz, KC5TIE, aboard the ISS. At the far left are physics teacher Gladys Muñoz, NP3BY, and Oscar Resto, KP4RF. |
On April 11, students in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico participated in the ARISS program for the first time. The contact gave youngsters attending the Caribbean Preparatory School in San Juan an opportunity to learn about space exploration from a new perspective.
 The KP4RF ground station equipment. [Photos courtesy of Victor Madera, KP4PQ] |
The contact was arranged with Earth support from the Puerto Rico DX Club and local amateurs, including Gladys Muñoz, NP3BY, a physics teacher at the school, Oscar Resto, KP4RF, and Angel Padilla, WP4G. During the contact, 10 students were able to talk with Walz.
As newspaper and TV reporters, fellow students and teachers looked on, the Caribbean Prep students asked questions that ranged from serious questions about space exploration to "What do you do with your dirty underwear?"
Click here to hear students at Quogue School talk with astronaut Dan Bursch, KD5PNI, at NA1SS. [9:05] (Audio courtesy of WorldCom) |
"Carl answered every question with great enthusiasm," said ARRL Puerto Rico Section Manager Victor Madera, KP4PQ. "His answers were clearly received by students, parents and teachers. During the approximately 10-minute contact, you could hear a pin drop in the packed auditorium."
As the spacecraft disappeared from view on the computer tracking program screen, students and visitors concluded the event with a standing ovation, Madera said.
ARISS is an
international project, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.--Gene
Chapline, K5YFL; Victor Madera, KP4PQ
| Previous: American Association of Radio Enthusiasts Formed | Next: The K7VVV Solar Update |
