September 21: ARISS is honored to learn that the weekly NASA SPACE UPDATE ran a segment highlighting the Augusta (GA) Prep School ARISS contact supported by Steve Bowen in late August. The blurb described high points of the ARISS contact and some of the school’s STEM activity, and featured two photos of students talking on the mic to Bowen. ARISS learned that everyone at the Space Operations Mission Directorate and the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate received the report.
August 31: ARISS-USA selected Tanya Anderson as the new ARISS Director of Education. She teaches junior high science at St. Joan of Arc School, a Pre-K-8 institution in Lisle, IL. For 18 years, Tanya has focused on teaching earth and space science, life science, and physical science. Some of her STEM activity included NASA HEAT 2022, helping create curriculum in heliophysics and system science; NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador; and Space Foundation International Teacher Liaison. She was chosen as 2015 Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Educator of the Year. Tanya said, “I am excited to be part of ARISS and cannot wait to see what the future holds for amateur radio as commercial space stations are built and lunar exploration evolves.”
September 20: ARISS was asked by NASA for a quick reply for the White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Austin Bonner, who needed a fact-check on a statement about ham radio and ARISS. Bonner, the Keynote 2 speaker on September 26 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Las Vegas, NV plans to use the statement, which ARISS confirmed was correct: “Over 100 different ISS crew members have used amateur radio and ARISS to talk to youth around the globe. And 3 of the 4 Artemis Astronauts that will soon circle the moon are certified amateur radio operators.” MWC’s publicity lists her keynote speech as being titled “Everything Policy Program.” Also, MWC claims that tens of thousands of professionals in the international mobile technology communications industry and connectivity sector attend their annual congress.
September 21: The ARISS-US Education Committee begins accepting ARISS Education Proposals on October 1 from formal and informal educational institutions and organizations wanting to compete for an ARISS radio contact. Educators need to submit proposals between October 1 and November 10, 2023 for ARISS contacts scheduled in the second half of 2024. ARISS’s Proposal Webinar on October 5 will answer educators’ questions on submitting a proposal. ARISS states that education organizations’ proposals should describe a well-developed education plan that will build youths’ excitement for STEM and an ARISS radio contact, and capture the interest of the community.
September 1: ARISS educator Melissa Pore at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, VA and two of her seniors traveled to St. Anthony of Padua School in Falls Church, VA to work with over 190 students. The school’s K-8 youth engaged in hands-on activities such as building straw rockets and models of TDRS satellites and satellite dishes. Students liked NASA activity pads, mission patches, and Artemis stickers provided by SCaN. Astronaut Dan Tani gave a talk to inspire the youth. Melissa’s senior students enjoyed doing the STEM service and learned some things, too, while helping younger students learn.
ARISS Upcoming Events
Sept 25: Colegio Educacion delTalento, Yerba Buena, Argentina – ARISS contact, ARISS-Canada Team
Sept 28: Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia – ARISS contact, ARISS-Russia Team