January 17: The ARISS Team received a report on Montross (VA) Middle School students who enjoyed exciting preparations for their ARISS contact targeted for mid-April. The school’s science curriculum provides students with lessons on sound waves, our solar system, and aspects of the ISS, among other things.  Last semester the school sponsored a science fair with activities and exhibits for students and parents. Engineers from the Dahlgren Naval Surface Weapons Lab put on physical science demos such as what happens when freezing flowers down to -320 degrees Fahrenheit using liquid nitrogen and what generates static electricity. Deputy Superintendent Director Carole Alexander (a ham operator) exhibited her portable “Go-Kit” ham station and she reported, “Students were very interested!”  Last fall, Westmoreland Amateur Radio Club members taught students how to make amateur radio contacts so the school amateur radio group could compete in a bi-annual activity sponsored by the American Radio Relay League for US school ham clubs. Students learned many things about radio and radio operation during the event and made a lot of radio contacts, including one with an overseas group. The youths’ communications successes garnered their group 10th place among middle school clubs nationwide. 

January 18: Girls and boys in the Norwich (CT) Free Academy Amateur Radio and Engineering Club created a YouTube video as part of the preparation for the school’s upcoming ARISS radio contact. The two-minute video tied to the ARISS project features a number of students expounding on the ARISS contact, some of the club’s STEM activities, facts about the ISS and its focus, showing the school’s ham radio station, and more.  One goal the youth met by making and posting the video was to explain to the entire student body how to submit questions for the ARISS contact and why. Their ARISS contact happens on January 30.  330 viewers saw the YouTube video as of Monday; the URL is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJyGFWfzupk.

ARISS Upcoming Events

Jan 24: Youth at Nizhny Novgorod, Russia-ARISS contact, ARISS-Russia Team
Jan 26: Brentwood Elementary Sch of Engrg, Raleigh, NC-ARISS contact, ARISS-US Team
Jan 30: Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, CT-ARISS contact, ARISS-US Team