Young Japanese Astronaut Hopefuls Discuss ET, Other Topics
 Members of the Young Astronauts Club-Wakasa prepare for
the ARISS contact. |
 A questioner talks to John Phillips, KE5DRY, about the ISS
from 8J9YAC. |
 Students react with glee as contact is made with NA1SS. |
 A TV station interviews a member of the Young Astronauts
Club at the Japan Red Cross-Wakasa, site of the ARISS contact between NA1SS and
8J9YAC. |
CLICK HERE to listen to the ARISS
contact between Japanese students in Wakasa and NA1SS [08:59]
CLICK HERE to see a video of the
event (high-speed connection necessary)
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NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 15, 2005--Thirteen Japanese youngsters had
the opportunity earlier this month to speak via Amateur Radio with NASA
International Space Station (ISS) Science Officer John Phillips, KE5DRY. The
contact was arranged via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. The contact between NA1SS
aboard the ISS and 8J9YAC, at the Japan Red Cross Radio Corps in Wakasa took
place September 9. Putting the questions to Phillips were members of the JRC
Radio Corps-Wakasa branch and the Wakasa Branch of the Young Astronauts
Club-Japan. One youngster asked Phillips whether the ISS crew could see the
center of large storms on earth.
"If we fly near a hurricane or typhoon, yes, we can see
the center very easily. In fact, I saw and photographed Typhoon Nabi about
four days ago," Phillips replied. The crew this past week also took photographs
of Hurricane Ophelia.
Another youngster wanted to know what Philips would do if
he met an extraterrestrial. "I hope we can find some method of communication,
so I can tell him we are friendly, we mean him no harm, and that we can start
to build a friendly relationship," he responded.
Asked about the time difference between the ISS and the
Earth, Phillips responded: "Some scientists predict that there is a very small
slowing of time due to the effect of relativity in fast moving objects, but at
our speed this would be a change in time of only a fraction of a second during
our six months onboard."
Masayuki Tsuda, JR9INQ, was the control operator for the
contact. A crowd of about 100 onlookers included several members of the news
media, parents of the participants and others. The Expedition 12 crew of Commander
Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev is set to launch from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 1 in a Soyuz transporter.
They'll arrive at the ISS October 3.
ARISS is an international educational outreach with US
participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.--Photos and information courtesy
Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ
Page last modified: 08:21 AM, 19 Sep 2005 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2005, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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