Robotically surveying lunar craters in record time and mining resources in space could help NASA establish a sustained human presence at the Moon – part of the agency’s broader Moon to Mars exploration approach.
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International Space Station – Image Credit NASA
An International Space Station school contact has been planned for astronaut Nick Hague KG5TMV with participants at Rowan Preparatory School, Claygate, Surrey, United Kingdom.
The direct contact between NA1SS and GB4RPS is planned for 1:51 PM BST (1251 GMT) on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 and the downlink signals will be audible in the UK and parts of Europe on 145.800 MHz FM.
Live streaming of the event is expected at https://live.ariss.org/
You can receive the ISS signal online from anywhere in the world by using the Farnham WebSDR at http://farnham-sdr.com/
School presentation
Rowan Preparatory School is a vibrant, friendly and nurturing community where girls are encouraged to be themselves. Our school is an independent preparatory school for girls between the ages of 2 to 11, located in the heart of Claygate (near Esher) in Surrey. A school with traditional values and a forward thinking approach to education, we seek to offer a broad and adventurous curriculum full of exciting opportunities.
School life at Rowan is inspiring and offers a breadth of experiences which develop the whole child. The warmth that is evident when you walk through the door at Rowan creates the ideal learning environment for girls to fulfil their potential. They are nurtured and allowed to grow as individuals, encouraged to take risks and have a go at new skills and interests which will enrich their lives. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths are at the heart of the curriculum at Rowan. Girls make the most of our dedicated specialist teaching spaces and delight in practical learning opportunities in the Engineering and Technology suite. From 3D printers to our radio recording studio, the environment at Rowan is geared towards encouraging creative and exciting learning, ensuring that the girls explore, question and discover in every area of learning. We are passionate about bringing STEM subjects to life and encouraging the girls to see how these subjects translate into the world beyond school. Experiences which will foster successful and inspirational women of the future!
Rowan girls are prepared for the transition to a wide range of successful day and boarding schools and we pride ourselves on finding the right senior school environment for each and every girl. A personalised approach to learning and outstanding pastoral care in our happy environment, ensures that every girl develops a genuine love of learning.
Students Questions:
1. Sophia (Yr 1): How did the International Space Station get built when it just balances in the air?
2. Izzy (Yr 2): What are the challenges to growing food in space if astronauts are to stay in space for longer?
3. Emily (Yr 3): Does your digestion change because in space there is no gravity so your intestine will float in your body?
4. Ashley (Yr 4): Of all the experiments that you have done in space, what has given the most surprising result or has been the most exciting?
5. Alessi (Yr 5): If you spin a ball in the ISS will it keep spinning or will it stop, and if it stops, what stops it?
6. Alannah: (Yr 6): In the future, will it be possible that someone can spend their entire life in space and if so, would their life expectancy change?
7. Grace (Yr 2): If you do a handstand in space does your blood go to your head if there is no gravity?
8. Delilah (Yr 4): Is there anything you could learn about how bacteria and viruses behave in space that could help us defeat infectious bugs around the Earth?
9. Emilia (Yr 5): NASA have said that they will establish a permanent presence on the moon within the next decade, how will they do this and what is the most exciting benefit for human kind?
10. Anya (Yr 6): In all of your time spent on board the ISS, what is the most exciting and extraordinary thing that you have experienced?
11. Sophia saying Zoe’s question (Yr 1): What new information about space are you hoping to learn?
12. Izzy saying Ballie’s question (Yr 2): Can you escape from a black hole?
13. Emily saying Eloise’s question (Yr 3): We have learnt that astronauts are very busy and work long hours. So when you have free time, what do you do for fun?
14. Ashley saying Annabel’s question (Yr 4): How do you get rid of rubbish in space?
15. Alessi saying Sabine’s question (Yr 5): What are you looking forward to the most in nature when you return?
16. Alannah saying Lucy’s question (Yr 6): Our teachers and parents tell us that having a balanced diet is important. Is your diet closely monitored or do you have freedom to choose what you eat? What is your favourite meal?
17. Grace saying Olivia’s question (Yr 1): How do you sleep in space?
18. Delilah saying Amelia’s question (Yr 3): What kind of dangers might you experience in space?
19. Emilia saying Luna’s question (Yr 2): What is the most beautiful thing you can see in space?
20. Anya saying 4J’s question (Yr 4): We have heard that some people don’t believe that the Moon landing took place, what is the best evidence that we have to disprove this theory?
About ARISS:
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station: NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, JAXA, and CSA. The US Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provide ARISS special support.
ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crew members on board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crew members on ISS can energize youngsters’ interest in science, technology, and learning.
The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio.
For more information, see http://www.ariss.org/
How to hear the ISS https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-hear-the-iss/
m5aka
AMSAT-UK
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IARU Region 1 notes that there are two proposals under discussion in Europe as possible future Agenda Items at WRC 2023, which potentially could impact important amateur radio frequencies.
IARU Region 1 has posted:
The following sets out the current IARU position on these proposals.
A proposal from France to consider the band 144-146 MHz as a primary allocation to the Aeronautical Mobile service, as part of a broader consideration of the spectrum allocated to that service.
The band 144-146 MHz is allocated globally to the amateur and amateur satellite services on a primary basis. This is one of the few primary allocations to the amateur service above 29.7 MHz and as such is an important and widely used part of the amateur spectrum with a vast installed base of users and operational satellite stations.
IARU views with grave concern any proposal to include this band in the proposed study. It will be representing this view energetically in Regional Telecommunications Organisations and in ITU to seek to obtain assurances that the spectrum will remain a primary allocation for the amateur services.
A proposal to study the amateur allocation in the 1240-1300 MHz (“23cm”) band following reported cases of interference to the Galileo navigation system.
IARU is aware of a handful of cases where interference to the Galileo E6 signal has been reported. In all cases these have been resolved by local action with the full cooperation of the amateur stations concerned.
IARU does not want the amateur service to affect the operation of the Galileo system in any way. Joint studies have been carried out to assess the true vulnerability of the system and, based on these, IARU regards the proposal to initiate an Agenda item for WRC-23 as premature.
The IARU position is that proper technical assessment of the issues involved should be made in the relevant CEPT study group. Proper account needs to be taken of the operational characteristics of the amateur service in order to develop sensible and proportionate measures that will facilitate the continued utility of the band for amateur experimentation whilst respecting the primary status of the GNSS service.
IARU is ready to cooperate fully in any studies and shares the objective of reaching a secure and permanent solution to the issues of sharing in this band.
IARU asks its Member Societies to draw this information to the attention of their members, and to refrain at this time from making speculative public comments about the situation until further progress has been made in regulatory discussions. IARU is also ready to discuss this issue with other societies not in IARU membership.
Source IARU Region 1
https://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/88-news/1864-wrc-23-agenda-items
1240-1300 MHz band discussed by CEPT WGFM and CPG/PTA
https://amsat-uk.org/2019/05/31/1240-1300-mhz-band-discussed-by-cept-wgfm-and-cpg-pta/
m5aka
AMSAT-UK
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NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor is hugged by students after a presentation about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station at Excel Academy Public Charter School in DC.
NASA Image of the Day
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Three Expedition 59 crewmembers are getting ready to end their stay at the International Space Station after six and a half months in space. Meanwhile, mission scientists continue exploring how microgravity impacts the human body.
Flight Engineers Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques will flank Commander Oleg Kononenko inside the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft when they return to Earth on June 24. McClain videotaped herself in virtual reality talking about her first space mission today using a 360-degree camera in Japan’s Kibo laboratory module. The trio have been in space since Dec. 3.
Saint-Jacques and Kononenko began gathering items to take back home inside their Soyuz crew ship. The duo collected personal items such as shoes and clothes as well as tools and trash that will be soon be stowed aboard the Soyuz for the ride to Earth.
Saint-Jacques also researched ways to supplement crew nutrition during future long-term space missions, such as missions to the Moon and Mars. Food stowed for long periods can lose nutritional value. The BioNutrients-1 study is exploring manufacturing nutritional compounds in space to maintain healthy crews for successful missions.
NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Nick Hague started Monday morning by drawing blood samples and spinning them in a centrifuge before stowing them in science freezer. Doctors on the ground will analyze the samples to detect critical changes to a crewmember’s physiology while living in space. The pair also participated in visual acuity tests using an eye chart in the afternoon.
Mark Garcia
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