ISS Commander Talks via Ham Radio with Scottish School He Once Visited

Carlos Eavis, G0AKI, assists as a student at the School of Back asks her question of ISS Commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC.

Students, staff and visitors at the School of Back provided an enthusiastic audience for the big event.

The youngsters who took part in the ARISS contact--one holding a picture of Mike Foale--pose with Head Teacher John Maclean (left, rear) and Carlos Eavis, G0AKI (right, rear).

NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 17, 2004--It might have been St Patrick's Day, but the accents of the youngsters questioning International Space Station Commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC, on March 17 definitely were Scottish. Nonetheless, the "luck of the Irish" was with the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between the British-born Foale at NA1SS and Nancy Rocheleau, WH6PN, at Sacred Heart Academy in Honolulu. An MCI teleconference provided the two-way audio for pupils at the Sgoil a' Bhac--the School of Back--on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwestern coast. Responding to one question, Foale explained that the ISS crew is not truly "weightless" in space.

"What's actually happening is that we're all falling together," Foale explained, pointing out that the space station is continuously falling as it circles Earth. Because the spacecraft is moving rapidly horizontally, it misses Earth because of its curve. "So, we're falling around the earth--all of the things inside the space station are falling," he continued. "We actually think that we're weightless, but, in fact, the weight is still there, and gravity is still working on us."

Apparent weightlessness in space has its pros and cons, Foale told the youngsters in response to another question. "In general, weightlessness causes problems because nothing stays put," Foale said. "You have to always have something sticky to hold things down." But, he went on to say, weightlessness does let the crew store things just about anywhere on the ISS.

Foale said he was able to see some features of northern Scotland--including the Isle of Skye--when the ISS passed over that part of the world. "Yours is pretty easy to pick out too," he added. As he's said during past school group QSOs, one of his favorite leisure-time activities is to look at Earth.

Other planets also were on the minds of the primary and secondary schoolers who attend the School of Back. The astronaut also told the Scottish students that he believes scientists may one day discover that life once existed on Mars. "I would bet that they will one day--maybe in a hundred years--find evidence of fossilized life on Mars," Foale said. He estimated that it would be "maybe 15 years" before humans are able to land on Mars. "Now, think about how old you all you are, and think about whether or not you'd want to take part in a mission to Mars," he added.

Christmas aboard the ISS: Foale (left) told one School of Back youngster that Christmas in space consisted of a plastic Christmas tree and stocking filled with candy and small gifts for himself and his crewmate, Sasha Kaleri, U8MIR. [NASA Photo]

Sgoil a' Bhac has an enrollment of 190--the majority at the primary school level. Dating back to 1878, the school is committed to Gaelic language and culture. Foale had visited the school last summer, spending about a half-day with the students.

"It was terrific for the pupils to meet him and to hear firsthand of what it was like to be in space, to be an astronaut," said Head Teacher John Maclean, who also led his students in an uproar of cheering and applause as the 10-minute contact concluded.

Students got to ask 20 questions, although the NA1SS signal faded out before Foale finished answering the last one. Contact moderator Will Marchant, KC6ROL, encouraged Maclean to have his students request NA1SS QSL cards following their contact. The School of Back QSO--the first for a school in Scotland--marked the 130th ARISS school group contact since the arrival of the first ISS crew in late 2000.

CLICK HERE to listen to the QSO between students at the School of Back in Scotland and ISS Commander Mike Foale, KB5UAC, at the controls of NA1SS. [9:49]

Helping out at the school was Carlos Eavis, G0AKI, who manages the Radio Society of Great Britain's GB4FUN radio van. The multiband-equipped mobile station promotes ham radio in the UK. IARU Region 1 Satellite Co-coordinator Graham Shirville, G3VZV, assisted.

ARISS is an international educational outreach with participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.

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