Successful joint contact for schools in Villasanta, Italy and Toulouse, France with Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA

Wednesday, 22 November, 2017 at 08:43 UTC, 09:43 local time, students at I.C. Villasanta, Villasanta, Italy and College Pierre de Fermat, Toulouse, France established a combined ARISS contacts with ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA, onboard the International Space Station.

This was a telebridge contact performed by Amateur radio ground station K6DUE located Silver Spring, MD, USA.

School Information:

I.C. Villasanta, Villasanta, Italy “Enrico Fermi” Middle School is located in the center of Villasanta a small town near Monza in the North of Italy, there are 450 students and 40 teachers. Since year 2014, our school and “Pierre de Fermat” Middle School have been involved in a twinning project based on online communication and exchange visits. Our Italian Middle School will be in charge of establishing the TELEBRIDGE contact; ARISS technical mentors in Villasanta will help us on logistics and equipment. The French and the Italian students will ask questions in Italian from their respectful schools. ARI “Erba” is the amateur radio school club cooperating with us (12-14).

College Pierre de Fermat, Toulouse, France “Pierre de Fermat” Middle School is located in the centre of Toulouse in the South of France. There are 900 students and 40 teachers. Since year 2014 our French Middle School and the Italian “E. Fermi” have been involved in a twinning project based on online communication and exchange visits. The Italian Middle School will be in charge of establishing the TELEBRIDGE contact, ARISS technical mentors in Villasanta will help them on logistics and equipment. The French and the Italian students will ask questions in Italian from their respectful schools. ARI section Erba is the amateur radio school club cooperating with us (12-14).

Mentor Gianpietro Ferraio IZ2GOJ proposed to the Radio Contact coordinators a joint contact and proposed both schools to share the event, alternating questions from both sites. Mr. Paolo Orietti IZ2YAS in Villasanta and Mr. Sylvain Valat F1UJT in Toulouse, coordinating the events, agreed and set up a joint contact.

Contact was established at 08:43 UTC, 09:43 local time, with NA1SS. Astronaut Paolo Nespoli answered 18 questions. College Pierre de Fermat in Toulouse, because of some little local issues with audio setup, didn't put questions but listened to the answers. Questions prepared by students in France were indeed read by students at the italian school. Before LOS exchanged the greetings. Signals from the ISS was loud and clear during whole pass.

More than 250 students, parents, visitors and media attended to both schools. Regional Television, local media and newspapers covered the event.

73 de Gianpietro - IZ2GOJ

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