SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS006
ARLS006 ARISS Opens Window for Proposals to Host Contacts with Space
Station Crew
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Space Bulletin 006 ARLS006
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT February 21, 2017
To all radio amateurs
SB SPACE ARL ARLS006
ARLS006 ARISS Opens Window for Proposals to Host Contacts with Space
Station Crew
The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program
is seeking proposals from schools and formal or informal educational
institutions and organizations - individually or working in concert
- to host Amateur Radio contacts next year with ISS crew members.
The window to submit a proposal is open until April 15. ARISS
anticipates that contacts will take place between January 1 and June
30, 2018. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact
contact dates. Proposal information and documents are on the ARRL
website at, http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact .
To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS seeks proposals
from schools and organizations that can draw large numbers of
participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed
education plan. Each FM-voice contact lasts about 10 minutes - the
length of a typical overhead ISS pass from horizon to horizon.
Scheduled ham radio contacts with ISS crew members allow students to
interact with an astronaut or cosmonaut through a
question-and-answer format. Participants and the audiences alike can
learn firsthand from the astronaut or cosmonaut what it's like to
live and work in space and to learn about space research on the ISS.
Students will be able to observe and learn about satellite
communication, wireless technology, and radio science.
Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of
scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate
flexibility to accommodate changes in contact dates and times.
To help organizations prepare proposals, ARISS offers 1-hour online
information sessions, designed to provide more information regarding
US ARISS contacts and the proposal process, as well as provide an
avenue for interested organizations to ask questions. Attending an
online Information Session is not required but is strongly
encouraged.
Information Sessions for the current application window will take
place on Monday, March 6, at 7 PM EST (0000 UTC on March 7) and
Thursday, March 16, at 4 PM EDT (2000 UTC). Contact ARISS via email
to sign up and take part at, ariss@ariss.org .
Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space
agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe sponsor these
educational opportunities by providing the equipment and operational
support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and
students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, ARISS is a
collaborative effort between ARRL and AMSAT, in partnership with
NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS).
Contact ARISS for more information via email at, ariss@ariss.org .
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