April 17: Students at Mrs Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy in Lyme Regis, UK experienced a great day as they spoke with Matthew Dominick for their ARISS contact; he answered 20 student questions. The faculty had invited six other area schools (for students age 4 to 11) in the Acorn Multi Academy Trust to take part in activities. Over 200 students and adults came to watch the action as did reporters from the BBC and Independent Television networks. The public saw the livestream; viewer count throughout contact day topped 1,000.
April 18: Belmont Elementary School students in Woodbridge, VA designed special t-shirts for their ARISS contact scheduled in June. To prepare youth for the contact, teachers post daily space facts in the school’s morning news. In addition to hands-on space and communications activities, the staff showed short videos featuring the ISS and also the SpaceX Crew-8 launch. Every one of the school’s student population is preparing questions; the student selection team will pick the questions for the contact.
April 18: ARISS announced in news releases and social posts the US schools/host organizations newly selected to move forward toward hosting ARISS contacts between July and December 2024. Nine of the ARISS Education Proposals submitted during the recent proposal window were chosen to begin preparation processes to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with an onboard ISS crew member. The educators will start implementing the four- to six-month education plan they outlined in their proposals—STEAM educational lessons involving space science and radio communications activities that help prepare students for the ARISS contact. Organizations are also completing an acceptable equipment plan for ARISS to review.
Table: schools and education organizations whose ARISS education proposals were chosen
ARISS Upcoming Events
May 4: Bundaberg High School, Bundaberg, QL, Australia, ARISS-Japan Team