April 4: An ARISS radio contact enjoyed by students from Collège Théodore Monod in Gagny, France was supported by Matthew Dominick, who answered 16 student questions. The National Air and Space Museum of France, at the Paris-Le Bourget Airport, hosted the ARISS contact. 150 people in the room—students, professors, parents, journalists, and museum staff—watched the event. The ARISS Technical Mentor reported that the YouTube webcast garnered 300 live views from the College’s students (and other area colleges’ youth) who couldn’t go to the museum. The recording earned 1,000 views in 2 days’ time. The museum’s 17K Facebook followers had an opportunity to watch the contact, which the staff posted.
April 8: Students in Utah’s Tooele County School District relished their ARISS contact with Matthew Dominick. He answered 15 questions while 200 students, teachers, and parents sat in the gym. Another 200 watched the YouTube livestream at the district’s Community Learning Center (CLC has four separate schools for K-12 youth and life-long learners) and at Bonneville Academy in Stansbury Park. In two days’ time over 400 more people saw the recording. A KSL-TV story detailed how the ARISS contact wasn’t an isolated event—that many district schools led space and STEM lessons beforehand and will hold more soon. CLC staff had prepared space activities for their students and shared the plans with area schools. Additionally, the ARISS contact was the highlight of Bonneville Academy’s day-long STEM extravaganza, part of the school’s Space Week. Reporters came from four TV stations, two newspapers, one radio news station, and one online news outlet. Lead ARISS educator Clint Thomsen said: “This [ARISS contact] is a unique chance for our students to engage with space exploration in a tangible and unforgettable way.” Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club and the West Desert Amateur Radio Club taught students basic electronics and guided seven youth in earning their ham radio license.
April 10: Jeanette Epps supported an ARISS contact for two Italian education groups that the ARISS team linked via Google Meet–ARTADEMIA in Milano and the Scuola Secondaria I grado A. Moro in Ponte Lambro. A report stated that 80 people attended at ARTADEMIA along with special guest Paolo Amoroso, a space and astronomy author. During the contact Epps answered 10 questions. Due to an online microphone malfunction at the beginning of the contact, ARTADEMIA students voiced some of the Ponte Lambro students’ questions until the mic issue got cleared up. The livestream captured over 200 views. The Italian ARISS radio telebridge station supported the contact and livestreamed their activities for enthusiasts to watch.
April 8: ARISS-USA announced a call for ARISS Education Proposals from US education institutions; proposals are due between April 8 and May 19, 2024. Proposals get reviewed and the best are accepted, which results in the education institution being selected for an ARISS contact between January 1 and June 30, 2025. ARISS widely distributed a news release and social media posts announcing the window along with sending details to the NASA EXPRESS e-newsletter and other NASA offices. NASA’s ISS Science Communications, NASA en español, and NASA SCaN teams all amplified the news regarding the call for proposals on their social media platforms, as well. ARISS thanks these groups. NASA EXPRESS goes to 61,030 subscribers and is shared through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement’s social media (409,023 X followers, 120,927 FB followers, and 524,654 Pinterest followers).
April 7: Twenty-five students from Volga State University of Telecommunications and Informatics, Samara, Russia took part in a successful ARISS contact supported by the ARISS-Russia Team. Two ARISS volunteers led students in the About Gagarin from Space lesson activities and Cosmonaut Aleksandr Grebyonkin answered students’ questions.
ARISS Upcoming Events
Apr 17: Mrs. Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy, Lyme Regis, UK – ARISS contact – ARISS-Europe Team
Apr 17: Mountain View Elementary School, Marietta, GA – ARISS contact – ARISS-US Team
Apr 22: American International University, Salmiya, Kuwait – ARISS contact – ARISS-US Team