FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2018
Amateur Radio connects kids, crew as ISS orbits overhead
Students at Bishop O’Connell High School will
talk with astronauts on the International Space Station via Amateur Radio
beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. This activity is part of the
ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Program, which
promotes learning opportunities as part of the STEM (Science, Technology,
Education and Math) initiative. It will be in the school auditorium.
Ten students will be asking questions, but other students (engineering classes and others) will be in the audience.
Details
When: Thursday, November 8, 10 a.m.
Where: Bishop O’Connell High School (school auditorium), 6600 Little Falls Road, Arlington
Students in engineering classes and the
engineering club at Bishop O’Connell have been learning about data transmission in space. The club’s mission managers took a field trip to
the ARISS international meeting in College Park, Md. Earlier this month, where
they were asked to provide student perspectives on this program through a panel
discussion. Later in the week they were honored to be included in a live
video-conferencing question and answer session with John Guidi, the Deputy
Director of the Advanced Exploration Systems Division with NASA’s Human
Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.
"Making this connection live is very exciting
for all of us," said O’Connell engineering teacher, Melissa Pore. "We
made a call out to all our O'Connell students to see who was interested in
posing questions to the astronauts. I am thrilled to see the broad cross
section of students from the school, not just our engineering students, who
have asked to participate. This is truly a school-wide event."
What is ARISS?
ARISS
is a joint venture by NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space
(CASIS), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the Radio Amateur
Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) to facilitate communication via Amateur Radio
between astronauts aboard the International Space Station and schools and
communities around the world. ARISS programs excite and motivate students in a
one-of-a-kind presentation and exchange.
ARISS
program goals are:
- Inspiring an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math) subjects and in STEM careers among young people.
- Providing an educational opportunity for students, teachers, and
the general public for learning about wireless technology and radio science
through Amateur Radio.
- Providing an educational opportunity for students, teachers, and
the general public for learning about space exploration, space technologies and
satellite communications.
What is Amateur Radio?
Amateur,
or “Ham,” Radio, is a popular
service and hobby in which federally licensed participants operate
communications equipment. There are over 700,000 licensed amateurs and nearly
2,300 ARRL-affiliated Amateur Radio clubs in the United States. Hams talk to
each other across town, around the world, and even into space without the need
for normal communications infrastructure, such as cell phone networks or the
Internet. Amateur Radio is regularly used during natural disasters to help
local emergency and served agencies (such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and
state and local governments) respond when normal communications methods are
disrupted. The Amateur Radio community is a great source of electronics
experimentation, public service, and fun.
More information on the ARISS program can be found at www.ariss.org.
More information on Amateur Radio can be found at www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.
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Contact:
Mary Jane Spurlock
Director of Communications
Bishop O’Connell High School
mjspurlock@bishopoconnell.org
703-201-5253 (mobile)
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