International Students, Quebec Primary Schoolers Quiz Astronaut via Ham Radio

A ZIS student asks her question of astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY, while fellow participants, teachers, ham club members and a TV cameraman look on.

Members of the ZIS Amateur Radio Club and advisors pose for a group photo following the successful contact.

CLICK HERE to listen to audio of the ARISS school group QSO between HB9ZIS and NA1SS: [7:31]

NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 22, 2005--Members of the Amateur Radio Club (HB9ZIS) at Zurich International School (ZIS) in Switzerland, spoke directly June 10 with US Astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY, on the International Space Station. Youngsters at École de la Source (The Source Primary School) in Mascouche, Quebec, had a similar opportunity a week later. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged both school group contacts with NA1SS. Phillips told a ZIS student that the change in gravity has not affected his appetite but does seem to make him less thirsty.

"It did not affect my eating habits at all, but it did affect my thirst," Phillips responded. "Your body doesn't need as much fluid up here because it doesn't have to work as hard to push the blood to your head. So I probably will drink less water, and my body has less fluid in it."

As for which planet he'd like to visit, Phillips told the ZIS students that Mars would be his first choice. "The only planet other than Earth that it's practical to visit during this century, I believe, would be Mars, so I guess I'd like to go there," Phillips said. "But right now I'd really like to visit Earth now and then," he added, eliciting laughter from the students.

With an enrollment of more than 900, ZIS is a co-educational day school for students age 3 to 18. graduation age 18. Attendees are from countries all over the world. One of the students participating in the contact was Christian Valentini, KB1LUR.

ARISS Mentor Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ, reports that Paul Schreier, HB9DST/AA1MI served as the technical director and contact coordinator. Bruno Zimmerman, HB9WAH, and radio club members set up a satellite station and antennas, and Zimmerman served as the control operator. They also established an ATV link to the assembly hall where the entire student body could follow the contact on a big screen. At the school ham shack itself--at the schools middle school campus in Horgen--the audience consisted of some 50 onlookers, including students, teachers, parents and school board members. All told, the students at ZIS had all 20 of their questions asked and answered.

Several media outlets, including the DRS national TV and radio channel and Die Neue Züricher Zeitung newspaper, covered the event.

Teacher Josée Gauvin briefs students participating in the ARISS school group QSO at Quebec's École de la Source.

Members of the Club Radioamateur Laval-Laurentides, VE2CRL, set up and ran the station for the successful school contact at École de la Source.

CLICK HERE to listen to audio of the ARISS school group QSO between VE2CRL and NA1SS: [6:23]

The following Friday, June 17, youngsters at Quebec's École de la Source enjoyed the fruits of a three-year wait on the ARISS school group application list. In 2002, fifth and sixth grade students took on the space contact project, which current students continued.

One youngster wanted to know how long it takes for the ISS crew members to put on their spacesuits to do an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or spacewalk. Phillips responded that while it takes about an hour to suit up and make required safety checks, it's a few hours more before the crew exits the spacecraft. Two hours are expended exhausting the airlock, he explained.

"But we take a lot longer than this because we have to protect against a problem called 'the bends,' which is what divers get when the nitrogen in their blood turns into bubbles," Phillips continued. "So we sit inside the suit for three hours or so breathing oxygen to get the nitrogen out--so in reality it takes maybe four or five hours from the time we start putting on the suits until we actually go outside."

Replying to another question, Phillips said it's not really known if space travel would be dangerous for a pregnant woman because one never has traveled into space. He said female members of NASA's astronaut corps do not even engage in training while pregnant.

Members of the Club Radioamateur Laval-Laurentide, VE2CRL, worked with ARISS Mentor Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD, on the technical aspects of the event. Students asked 15 questions during the approximately six-minute contact, and during Phillips' final answer, the NA1SS signal faded out as the ISS went over the horizon. Students released a roaring "Merci!" (Thanks!) at signoff.

ARISS-Canada's Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA, said that while the contact itself took place in one of the school's smaller rooms, a direct video link tied into the gymnasium let an audience of some 400 pupils, parents and guests look on. A representative from the Canadian Space Agency was on hand to talk to the students and to translate Phillips' answers into French. Teacher Robert Ménard coordinated the project.

Two national TV networks and one newspaper sent reporters to cover the event. Local dignitaries and school board members also were present.

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

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