[sarex] Space and Education - A message to the youth

[Markku Korhonen <oh8uv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Space and Education - A message to the youth 
- videoconference in the European Netd@ys week.

On the 20th of  October 1998 there was a video conference between 
cosmonauts and astronauts and students aged 12-18 from 6 different
schools in Europe. 
This videoconference took place on the occasion of a special 
European session of the 14th Planetary Congress of 
the Association of Space Explorers.

In the video conference there was 3 schools from Belgium, 1 from 
the Netherlands, 1 from Italy and 1 from Finland, Paltamo High School.

There was 2 hours a live 'Questions and Answers session' astronauts were 
able to communicate with students on any subject or experience related 
to the manned spaceflights and space science. Also there was a direct 
transmission of this session to any other European/world wide school by
accessing it through the Netdays Europe 1998 web site.

Astronauts in Belgium:
Owen Garriot,  (W5LFL),USA
Ernst Messerschmidt,( DG2KM) ,Germany
Vladimir Titov,( U1MIR),Russia
Helen Sharman, (GB1MIR), United Kingdom
Franz Vieböck, Austria,
Dirk Frimout, (ON1AFD),  Belgium,
Wubo Ockels,( PE1LFO), the Netherlands,
Claude Nicollier,Switzerland
Franco Malerba, Italy
Jean-Luic Critian, France

Pupils of Paltamo Sr High School asked totally 3 questions. Our last 
question was  "How do you spend your free time in space?"

Owen Garriot, W5LFL, answered and in the same time we showed 
the SAREX QSL cards to all. One qsl was from W5LFL/STS-9.
Owen told with inspiration about many fascinating views etc.
Then he continued:

"... enjoy your time in space.
I've noticed a little picture that has put up there which happens to be 
to show me using amateur radio satellite.
I've been as an amateur radio operator or a ham operator as every since 
as teenager, much younger than some of you for example.
But I had an opportunity to use the first amateur radio station in space 
back on Spacelab1. 
Since that time it has become a very popular activity and not only 
in the US program but also in the Russian program.
One of our member here at the ASE conference has been, I believe,three times 
on the shuttle and every crew member of his flight was an amateur radio 
operator.
Mir has amateur operator or ham operator on almost every mission.
That they're hoping to able to use a portable set and talk to the 
Mir crew members today. 
I'm not sure that will work out, but that is another activity and 
we've used many times on past flights and we will continue when we get 
the space station in a few more years."

Well the time was very limited, but ham radio in space got again good
audience.

Owen K. Garriott, W5LFL, was operating in space from aboard Columbia 
on the flight of STS-9/Spacelab-1 between 28 Nov. and 8 Dec., 1983.
We were listening his FM signals in Paltamo High School. It was nice feeling 
to hear his voice again and see him first time!

Thank you for all these interesting 15 SAREX years! 
Good luck with ham radio in space.

73 de Markku OH8UV
oh8uv@kainuumedia.fi
http://www.paltamo.fi/~oh8uv/sarexpa.htm

 
More information of the conference:
http://www.netdays.org/cgi/foxweb.exe/projects@netdays/projects?rec_id=27&la
ng=
en
http://www.belgacom.be/uk/onthenet/sectors/netdays.htm#visio


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