ISS Expedition 3 Crew Conducts Its First School Contact

Student Stephanie Welcome prepares to ask her question of ISS Crew Commander Frank Culbertson. [Sandy Peck Photo]

NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 5, 2001--Youngsters at Seabrook Intermediate School in Texas got their new school year off to a banner start by speaking with the International Space Station via ham radio. The September 4 contact was carried out as part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program. Crew Commander Frank Culbertson, KD5OPQ, took the NA1SS microphone for the first of what's hoped will be several school contacts during his crew's four-month stay.

Ten youngsters in grades six through eight from the school's Science Magnet Program took part in the contact. Among other things, the students wanted to know how life aboard the ISS compared with the space shuttle.

"The space shuttle is fairly small," Culberton said, comparing it to "a camper on the back of a pickup truck." The space station is huge in comparison. "It's like night and day between the two," he said. "For living in space, the space station is the way to go." Culbertson said he's enjoying weightlessness aboard the ISS.

He also told the students that the astronauts aboard the ISS "recycle as much as possible" but also rely on supplies brought up from Earth aboard shuttle flights and Russian Progress spacecraft.

Expedition 3 Crew Commander Frank Culbertson, KD5OPQ

Culbertson said that while no one gets motion sickness, "there is something similar to motion sickness that hits about half the people who go into space." He said no one has reported a fear of heights, but astronauts taking part in space walks have reported they need a few minutes to get used to being outside in space traveling at that speed and altitude.

One youngster wanted to know if the crew was able to shower aboard Space Station Alpha. "We don't actually take showers," Culbertson explained. "That would be pretty messy." He said the crew cleans up using a wash cloth and hot water, plus special soap and shampoo that does not need to be rinsed off but can just be wiped dry with a towel.

Culbertson noted that 16 countries are ISS partners, although the US has contributed up to one-half of the total costs so far.

"It's been a real pleasure talking with you guys," Culbertson said as he signed off from NA1SS. The students reacted with loud applause.

Participating youngsters were enthusiastic about their ARISS experience. "That was just so cool talking to people over 210 nautical miles straight up," said Banks, a sixth grader. Seventh grader Adam, who hopes to become an astronaut, called it "a very eye-opening experience." Savannah, another sixth grader, said she hoped to get her ham ticket.

Coordinating the ARISS contact at the school was Bill Wood, W5OOD, with help from the Clear Lake Amateur Radio Club (K5HOU) and the Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club (W5RRR).

Seabrook Science Magnet School students standing: (L-R) Adam Gittleman, Hannah Montan, Sidharth Menon, Danny Sweet, Santosh Bhavani, Michael Horne; Seated in chairs: (L-R) Whitney Brabant, Michael Piper, Banks Miller; In front: Molly Martin, Stephanie Welcome, Savanah Kinchen. [Sandy Peck Photo]

Sandy Peck is the school's science coordinator and no stranger to the ARISS concept. She and ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, co-authored the instructional booklet Amateur Radio in Space, distributed by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education. "We hope very definitely to have a class in the spring that one of our Clear Lake people will be teaching, so that our students can get their amateur licenses," she said. Peck said the school had waited more than two years for a crack at an ARISS QSO.

The Seabrook school recently provided the setting for ARISS' role in an upcoming IMAX production about the ISS. ARISS mentor Gene Chapline, K5YFL, says an IMAX crew last week filmed students in a mock-up, dress rehearsal of this week's contact that also included an end-to-end test of the ham radio link to W5RRR.

"The IMAX staging had the kids portrayed around a table of ham gear which had the appearance of being operated by Michael Piper, the son of astronaut Heidi Piper, using the call sign KD5FAL," Chapline explained. One question was the same as one asked during an ISS school contact last January. A clip of Expedition 1 Crew Commander William Shepherd, KD5GSL, answering that question will be matched to the Seabrook scene shot this week.

[Bruce Paige, KK5DO, Photo]

Chapline said the real KD5FAL, 14-year-old Bradley Henicke of George West, Texas, led the team of Boy Scouts that provided communication for the George West School contact in January. Chapline said that Henicke "graciously consented" to the use of his call sign for the production.

The ISS crew is tentatively scheduled to speak next week with students at Altamonte Elementary School in Florida.

The ARISS program is a cooperative venture of ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. For more information, visit the ARISS Web site.--Bruce Paige, KK5DO, provided some information for this report

Previous: FCC Registration Number Becomes Mandatory in December

Next: In Brief