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 Previous: New ARRL Section Managers Elected in Four Sections |
 Next: N6AJO Appointed to Be Pacific Division Vice
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With the contact in progress, the students' questions are displayed for the audience in English and Japanese. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 19, 2003--Pupils at an elementary school in Japan have been the first youngsters to speak to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station since the shuttle Columbia tragedy. The contact took place February 18 between 8N3HES at the Hirano Elementary School and astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT, at the controls of NA1SS. The direct 2-meter contact was arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, which has been on hold since the shuttle catastrophe.
No one asked any questions about the Columbia tragedy during the
approximately 10-minute contact that was marred by some communication
difficulty. An audience of approximately 180 people--essentially the entire
school plus several reporters--was on hand for the ARISS contact. Pettit managed
to answer eight of the nine questions put to him by the fifth and sixth graders
[Student photos compliments of Satoshi Yasuda] |
One student wanted to know what Pettit would bring with him if he had to live in space for the rest of his life. "I would hope to bring my whole family," Pettit responded. "I would bring my wife and my children and we would live in space together."
Because of the Columbia disaster, the mission of the Expedition 6 crew members already has been extended until at least June. It had been scheduled to end next month.
Other students asked questions relating to everyday life aboard the space
station, including how the crew gets rid of its trash. Pettit explained that
after putting the trash into airtight bags, it's loaded on an empty Progress
cargo supply rocket and sent back into Earth's atmosphere. "It's the ultimate
means of recycling your garbage," he said.
Astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT, performs some maintenance in the ISS Zvezda Service Module. [NASA Photo] |
Pettit told the youngsters that it's "nice and warm" aboard the space station--about 22 degrees Centigrade--but that the crew could set the temperature to whatever they desired.
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One student asked what the crew would do if someone became ill. "Fortunately no one has become sick on our mission, so we haven't had to worry about that," Pettit replied. He said that in the case of sickness among the crew, the crew would contact flight surgeons on Earth to get advice. He also explained that the crew has a medical kit on board for those kinds of situation.
The Hirano Elementary School is in Kobe, Japan. The school opened in 1876.
An ARISS contact with students at Oregon State University is scheduled for February 21.
ARISS is an international project
with participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
| Previous: New ARRL Section Managers Elected in Four Sections |
Next: N6AJO Appointed to Be Pacific Division Vice
Director |
