Ian Foale asks his dad a question.
Ian Foale asks his dad a question. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 12, 2004--Ian Foale, the son of International Space Station Expedition 8 Commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC, was among several other youngsters attending his school who got to ask questions of his dad February 4 via Amateur Radio. The contact with James F. Bay Elementary School in Houston, Texas, was arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. The third-grader first lobbed a softball question at his dad--"How far is the space station from Earth in miles and kilometers?"--but followed up with a more challenging query about whether the ISS crew could detect changes in land forms on Earth.
"Yes, we can detect changes," his father responded. "They happen slowly over many months, but we can see the snow building up on mountains, and we can see the glaciers developing in the Patagonia area." The elder Foale also said the crew is able to see erosion of earth and mud down rivers into the sea. What the crew cannot see, Foale said in reply to another question, are the great pyramids or the Great Wall of China. While these should be visible, Foale said, they blend in too much with their surroundings.
Responding to a question about which direction plants grow in zero gravity, the astronaut explained that plants are phototropic. "Plants actually grow in the direction you have light coming from," Foale said. "So if you have lamps on the space station--and we do--the plants will grow towards the light."
Foale conceded that living aboard the ISS with only one crewmate can be a lonely experience for both of them. "My hardest adjustment to life here is being away from lots of nice people," Foale said. "I have one crewmate, Sasha, and we are good friends, but we miss other people."
The youngsters let loose with a hearty round of applause as the approximately 10-minute-long contact ended.
 Jenna Foale talks to the youngsters about her robotic dog, as her mom looks on. |
Visiting the school for the event and taking part in pre-contact activities were Foale's wife, Rhonda, and his 12-year-old daughter, Jenna, who attended James Bay Elementary in her younger years. In addition to the radio contact between the Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club's W5RRR on Earth and NA1SS in space, Rhonda Foale presented a "video post card" from Mike Foale that offered the elementary schoolers additional insights into daily life aboard the ISS. She also talked and how she and her children stay in touch with the astronaut in space.
 The entire population of James Bay Elementary School turned out to witness the ham radio contact with NA1SS. | |
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Daughter Jenna, meanwhile, told the youngsters about her Aibo robotic dog, for which Foale writes programs while aboard the ISS. Astronauts Scott Kelly and Julie Payette also attended the event and answered questions from the pupils about space travel.
The NA1SS downlink signal was reportedly heard from as far away as Illinois, Ohio and Massachusetts.
ARISS is an international educational outreach project
with participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
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