Space Contacts Compete with Rock Band, Bring Science to Life for Fifth Graders

Ingenious scouts pile hay bales to dampen the sound from a nearby rock concert at AJ2007. [WIA Photo]

A scout asks his question of astronaut Suni Williams, KD5PLB. [WIA Photo]

Exultant AJ2007 contact participants cheer the contact's success. [WIA Photo]

Sherman Elementary School student Garret asks his question of Suni Williams. [Andrea Catena Photo]

A television reporter interviews fifth-grader Zach at Sherman Elementary.

Members of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association handle the station controls as Maya asks her question. [Andrea Catena Photo]

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 10, 2007 -- Scouts at Australian Jamboree 2007 (AJ2007) applied their ingenuity January 7 when an on-site rock concert threatened to drown out a scheduled Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with the campers. They responded by piling bales of hay to create an insulating bunker around the building where the contact with ISS Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, KD5PLB, took place. As a result, the 20 scouts who won a "What would you ask an Astronaut?" competition were able to ask Williams their questions in comparative quiet. One Scout asked Williams to comment on the possibility of life elsewhere in our solar system.

"I would think with all the stars . . . all the billions of stars out there that there's got to be life somewhere out there," Williams replied from NA1SS. "So I think we'll be able to find evidence of life at some point in time." She told another Scout that the ISS crew hadn't seen any aliens in space, adding, "but maybe we will. I'll be up here for another six months."

The contact marked Williams debut in handling an ARISS educational contact from NA1SS. Williams noted that she had been in Girl Scouts herself.

Responding to another question, Williams said it takes more than a month for ISS crew members to accommodate fully to Earth's gravity after spending an extended time in the microgravity environment of space.

"We go through about a 45-day rehabilitation program when we get back, and you're pretty much back to normal after about a six-month stay," she said. "However, really being able to work out -- like being able to run the way you did before you left -- is probably going to be about a one day-for-one day time, so probably about six months."

Philip Adams, VK3JNI, organized the event, which attracted a crowd of about 200 onlookers inside and outside AJ2007's VI3JAM ham radio shack, while another 150 inside a tent watched the proceedings on a large video screen. An on-site FM radio station broadcast the event for the other 13,000 Scouts at the Jamboree.

Earth station for the AJ2007 contact was Bill Lynd, VK4KHZ. A Verizon Conferencing teleconference link provided two-way audio between the Jamboree site in Elmore and VK4KHZ. ARISS-Australia Coordinator Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, the Wireless Institute of Australia and Amateur Radio Victoria assisted.

"Thank you so much for inviting me," Williams said as the ISS went out of range. "It was great to talk to all you guys, and I hope you have a wonderful Jamboree." AJ2007 is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Scouting. It concludes January 13.

New York Elementary Schoolers Get Glimpse of Life in Space

The possibility of a human space flight to Mars has been the focus of teacher Andrea Catena's fifth grade science pupils at Sherman Elementary School in Henrietta, New York. The youngsters expanded their knowledge of life in space when they spoke via ham radio January 8 with Suni Williams. ARISS arranged the direct VHF contact between W2SKY at the school and NA1SS. Responding to one question, Williams explained that it takes more than a day to get ready for a spacewalk from the ISS.

"Part of the reason is that we breathe pure oxygen, so we don't want to get 'the bends' when we go out into space, so, we have to start 'pre-breathing' the oxygen the day before" Williams told the youngsters. "And then, to get all the tools together it takes a good four or five hours."

Williams, who joined the Expedition 14 space station crew in December, said the most exciting part of her mission so far was her first spacewalk. "Actually coming out the door and seeing the world in your face for the first time, it was absolutely exhilarating!" she recounted.

In preparation for the contact, the Sherman Elementary students had researched the history of the ISS and learned a bit about the work of the station crew. They also studied satellite and radio communication in space.

Williams, 41, said she first thought about becoming a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps until "later in life" after she'd become a test pilot.

"But I always thought I wanted to do that," Williams continued, "so one thing I'd say to you guys is, if there's any thoughts that you'd like to become an astronaut, keep that in the back of your mind, pursue your dreams and whatever other career you might want to have, and eventually it might just happen." She said many professions are represented among the members of the Astronaut Corps.

Members of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA) set up the necessary Earth station equipment at the school to make the QSO possible. "We had an excellent ARISS experience at Emma Sherman Elementary School yesterday," said RARA Education Committee Chairman Pete Fournia, W2SKY, who loaned his call sign for the occasion. "The school took full advantage of this opportunity making it a very memorable experience for the entire school and a very gratifying experience for the teams that participated," he said.

The youngsters squeezed 16 questions into the nearly 10-minute ISS pass. The ham radio event attracted generous media attention from newspapers and television stations.

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

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