Halls Head College's first link up with the International Space Station (ISS) allowed students to ask questions to astronaut Loral O'Hara while she travelled around the globe.
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00:00 [ Music ]
00:09 [ Sound Effects ]
00:37 [ Silence ]
00:49 >> With acknowledgement to country, Ngarla Kuttich,
00:51 Bindjarra Moort, Kayin Kadak, Njibuja.
00:53 We would like to acknowledge the Indigenous custodians
00:55 of the land that we're on today, the Bindjarra people
00:58 and their leaders past, present and emerging.
01:00 >> Hello everyone, this is Shane Lind,
01:02 your ARIS moderator for today.
01:05 Through the help of amateur radio volunteers and the crew
01:08 on the ISS, we soon hope to establish radio contact
01:11 with the International Space Station as it flies more
01:14 than 400 kilometres above the earth over South Africa.
01:17 This is all accomplished through ARIS, which is amateur radio
01:23 on the International Space Station.
01:24 The ISS is currently approaching the South West African coastline
01:30 and travelling along at around 27,000 kilometres an hour.
01:33 This contact for today will be performed using the ARIS
01:38 Telebridge Network, which is a worldwide network
01:41 of amateur radio ground stations that enable students
01:44 to contact the ISS.
01:45 ARIS is an international consortium of volunteers
01:49 from several nations that have assisted to develop
01:52 and operate the amateur radio equipment
01:55 on board the International Space Station.
01:57 Some of those that support ARIS are the American Radio Relay
02:02 League, the Worldwide AMSAT,
02:04 Amateur Radio Satellite Corporations,
02:06 the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency,
02:10 the Japanese Space Agency, Roscosmos,
02:14 the Russian Space Agency and of course NASA.
02:16 The amateur radio ground station
02:19 that will establish radio contact
02:21 with the ISS today is Zulu Sierra 6 Juliet Oscar November,
02:25 ZS6JON, located in Krugersdorp in South Africa and operated
02:31 by John Saigo.
02:32 Thanks for helping us out today John.
02:34 We have around five minutes until contact time.
02:40 Our link up today will be with the student participants
02:43 at the Halls Head College, Mandurah, Western Australia.
02:47 Now let's check in with the group
02:48 and we've asked Principal Bronwyn White to please tell us
02:51 about the students that are taking part today.
02:53 Over to you Bronwyn.
02:54 >> Thank you for that.
02:56 It's a great privilege to be part of this
02:58 and I'm very excited to thank everyone involved
03:01 for the opportunity.
03:02 Our Year 10 students here today are currently studying Earth
03:06 and Space Science with a focus on the Earth Spheres
03:09 and the Big Bang Theory.
03:10 The students present today were chosen
03:13 to represent the year group and ask questions.
03:16 We've got around 20 students here today and some families
03:19 with us and a number of staff all eagerly waiting to speak
03:22 to the NASA astronaut Laurel O'Hara.
03:26 For me this is a very exciting opportunity.
03:29 My first introduction to space was when I was seven years old
03:33 in Year 2 and Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon.
03:38 I didn't have a TV at home, we didn't have a TV at school
03:41 but I went to the neighbours place that night and we got
03:43 to watch it on TV and it was so exciting.
03:46 And since then there's just been such huge inroads in outer space
03:51 and it's about us broadening our horizons
03:54 and the possibilities around us.
03:56 So I'm very excited that our students can be part
04:00 of this unique opportunity and very grateful
04:02 for the opportunity presented to us.
04:04 And I guess for me it is about if you've ever played one
04:11 of those games where you can't see the whole screen
04:14 until you actually explore it,
04:15 that's kind of what our minds are like and the fact
04:18 that we're broaching into new grounds
04:20 in outer space is really just part of that growth
04:24 and it just opens the doors for us.
04:26 So I'm just hugely excited and privileged to be part
04:29 of this opportunity and I'm looking forward
04:31 to hearing the questions and the answers from Laurel.
04:34 So without further ado I am now going
04:37 to finish and hand over.
04:39 Thank you very much.
04:40 >> Thank you Bronwyn and we really appreciate the efforts
04:43 that you've put into this to get it this far and like you we're
04:46 all very excited to participate
04:48 and get some positive outcomes from this.
04:51 So welcome to the space program.
04:54 Okay, John before the contact begins can you please tell us
04:57 about your ground station, where you are
05:00 and how you'll handle the conversation.
05:02 Back over to you John.
05:03 >> Okay, well good morning, afternoon to everybody there
05:09 and great to hear all the voices in the background
05:12 and looking forward to hopefully a successful contact.
05:15 So good luck everybody.
05:17 I'm situated very close to Johannesburg
05:20 on the western side about 30 kilometres
05:22 in a town called Krugerstor.
05:24 I've been here for most of my life
05:27 and been an amateur radio operator since the late 1980s.
05:32 So I've been around the block a little bit.
05:34 But good luck everybody, clear voices and hoping
05:38 for a fantastic contact.
05:40 So back to you Shetland.
05:42 >> Okay, thank you John.
05:44 Okay guys, well we've got just a little
05:46 over one minute before the space station comes
05:49 over our horizon or John's horizon.
05:52 Remember that what we're doing on the ISS is
05:55 in fact an experiment.
05:56 So we can never tell the results positive or negative
05:58 until the experiment is over.
05:59 And students, please don't forget to say the word over
06:03 at the end of your question because that will be John's
06:06 trigger to switch between transmit and receive.
06:09 In a short time the station will be coming
06:11 over ZS6JON ground station.
06:14 So it's all yours John.
06:16 I know we've got about a minute or so left
06:18 and your antennas are probably getting very close
06:21 to the position where they're starting to track.
06:23 And we'll stand by and just wait.
06:26 And students, please don't be concerned if John calls two
06:29 or three times in order to establish the contact.
06:31 Once John has established a good solid contact,
06:34 voice transmission from the astronaut,
06:37 then he'll most likely just simply say,
06:39 "Please go ahead and endure with your first question."
06:41 Okay, back over to you John and good luck.
06:43 >> Thank you very much.
06:47 Okay, well we got just about minus three degrees elevation
06:52 so she's slowly creeping closer.
06:54 Yes, I'll be lifting the squelch so you'll hear the noise,
06:57 the hash, and then it'll go a little quiet while I'm mic
07:02 over the microphone to give her a call.
07:05 And then as Shane says, I will then reestablish the microphone
07:10 and I will say, "Please go ahead with your first question."
07:13 And then the switching will be automatic.
07:15 So she's just about at minus one degrees
07:20 and we'll start giving her a call very, very shortly.
07:24 So good luck everybody and here we go.
07:28 [ Silence ]
07:40 >> Good morning, South Africa.
07:43 Excited to hear your question.
07:45 Please go ahead with the first question.
07:49 >> What is the main thing you miss about Earth?
07:52 Over.
07:52 >> Great question.
07:58 I miss seeing my friends and family
08:00 and I also miss getting to spend time in nature, going swimming,
08:05 walking in the woods, and eating any fresh food.
08:09 >> What have you learned that you didn't know before going
08:14 to the International Space Station?
08:16 Over.
08:17 >> That's a great question and I think one thing
08:23 that we're all learning to do better
08:26 at is just communicate more effectively up here.
08:30 It's challenging because we're really far away from the people
08:35 that we work with on the ground and they have limited insight
08:39 into what we do up here.
08:40 Likewise, we don't know everything that's going
08:43 on throughout so being really clear and really precise
08:47 in our communication is something
08:48 that I am always trying to do better at.
08:52 >> Who or what was your biggest inspiration?
08:56 Over.
08:58 [ Inaudible ]
09:21 >> That they might be a little scared of succeeding at them
09:25 or failing at them but just taking
09:28 on those big challenges.
09:29 Over.
09:29 >> What has been the most challenging obstacle you have
09:34 had to face?
09:35 Over.
09:35 >> I've had a lot of different obstacles at different times
09:43 but one thing I think that I've overcome
09:47 in my life is just doubting myself,
09:49 learning how to be a little scared
09:51 or unsure if I can do something but doing it anyway.
09:55 I think that helps you to understand yourself
09:59 and know yourself better and who you are and what you value
10:02 and that helps you figure out what you want
10:03 to do with your life.
10:04 >> What is your everyday routine
10:08 on the International Space Station?
10:10 Over.
10:10 >> So we have pretty long but pretty great days up here
10:18 and I usually start by grabbing some breakfast and a coffee.
10:22 I like to look at where we are over Earth in the morning
10:26 so I look at the map and go and take a look outside the windows
10:31 and then we have a morning meeting and then we get to work
10:35 which is everything from science to maintenance
10:38 to doing whatever needs to be done at the space station.
10:41 Then we have an evening meeting and some free time.
10:44 Over.
10:44 >> What was the most memorable part
10:49 of your astronaut training?
10:50 Over.
10:51 >> The most memorable part of my training, gosh,
10:57 there's been so much.
10:58 One of my favourite parts has been the people that I get
11:00 to know and work with both in the United States
11:03 and all around the world.
11:04 They make it, training really memorable and fun
11:08 and I think you can do anything
11:10 when you're doing it with good people.
11:11 Over.
11:11 >> What qualifications do you need
11:15 to become an astronaut?
11:16 Over.
11:16 >> In the United States you need a degree in science,
11:24 engineering, math or computer science
11:26 or you can be a medical doctor and then a couple years
11:30 of related experience and then you also have
11:32 to pass the medical exam.
11:33 >> What is the weirdest thing that has happened
11:37 in outer space?
11:38 Over.
11:39 >> I think one of the weirdest things since I got up here
11:45 is that my brain adapts to microgravity because you go
11:49 from being in a two-dimensional environment
11:51 to a three-dimensional environment
11:53 and when I first got up here I would float around the corner
11:57 on the space station and be totally confused where I was,
12:00 have no idea where I was and I'd have to rotate
12:02 to the same orientation that we usually see on the ground
12:06 and now I can zip around and be on the ceiling or on a wall
12:10 and I know exactly where I am.
12:12 >> What is the first step to becoming an astronaut
12:16 and how long does the training take?
12:17 Over.
12:18 >> The first step is applying.
12:24 You have to apply and believe you can do it in order
12:27 to become an astronaut but then for training,
12:30 usually we have two years of basic training
12:33 when we first start out and then about two years
12:36 to train once we're assigned for a mission.
12:39 Right now what you guys can do is just study hard
12:42 in all the different subjects.
12:44 It's important to know a lot of different things
12:46 as an astronaut, stay in good shape and learn how
12:50 to be a good teammate and a good leader.
12:51 >> What effect does being in space have
12:56 on the human body?
12:56 Over.
12:57 >> Good question.
13:02 There's a lot of different effects.
13:04 For example, the fluids all shift in our bodies
13:08 so on Earth a lot of the gravity keeps the fluids a little bit
13:13 lower in our body and in space they tend to move around
13:16 and so a lot of people get what we like to call a fatter face.
13:20 It's just the fluids move up to our face.
13:23 Also our eyes change, the density
13:27 in our bones can change and we also get a couple inches taller.
13:30 >> Can you boil water in space?
13:35 Over.
13:36 >> Good question.
13:49 Over.
13:49 >> Do you think space would have a smell
13:54 and how would you smell it?
13:55 Over.
13:55 >> Yes, we do think it has a little bit of a smell.
14:02 Mostly just some coming back in from spacewalks.
14:05 Sometimes it's a little bit metallic
14:07 but I don't think we get it to directly smell it.
14:14 >> What type of food do you have in space
14:16 and what is your favorite?
14:17 Over.
14:17 >> Our menu has pretty good variety
14:24 and everything is either shelf stable so we just heat it
14:27 up in an oven or it's dehydrated
14:31 so we just rehydrate it with some water.
14:33 I like to eat a lot of fish on Earth so I eat the same up here
14:37 and also some veggie sides like cauliflower with cheese.
14:42 We also sometimes have pizza or taco nights which is really fun.
14:47 >> Do you have a regular job on Earth?
14:51 Over.
14:51 >> I do. When --
14:52 [ Silence ]
15:10 >> Okay, ladies and gentlemen,
15:11 we just shared a wow moment in history.
15:13 Amateur radio station ZF6JON operated by John Saigo contacted
15:18 astronaut Laurel O'Hara, KI5TOM operating NA1SS aboard the
15:24 International Space Station and spoke with students
15:26 at the Halls Head College in Mandurah, Western Australia.
15:29 Now for the international volunteer team of ARIS,
15:33 including amateur radio satellite corporations
15:35 around the world, the American Radio Relay League,
15:40 the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency,
15:43 the Japanese Space Agency, Roscosmos and NASA.
15:46 This is Shane Lind, amateur radio operator, VK4KHZ
15:50 in Glendon, Queensland, Australia,
15:51 sending my greetings to you all in amateur radio term 7-3s
15:55 which means best wishes.
15:56 >> First of all, Halls Head College would like to thank John
16:00 in South Africa and you, Shane, for what a great,
16:04 fabulous experience for all our students
16:08 and hopefully potential astronauts in the future.
16:10 [ Silence ]
16:14 >> No problem at all.
16:16 Thank you very much.
16:16 Certainly appreciate all the effort that you put
16:20 in there, David, as well as Bronwyn and Leslie
16:22 and also Martin Dickens
16:25 for making a special appearance there tonight to help out.
16:27 Martin's been involved in the program for quite a number
16:30 of years and he's a very valuable asset.
16:31 So thanks, Martin.
16:33 Okay, guys, well, look, thank you very much for your efforts.
16:36 We got through the, I think, was it 13 questions or 14?
16:40 Oh, sorry, I've just been told by my second operator here, 14.
16:44 So that's a pretty good effort.
16:46 Okay, John, thank you very much for your efforts, mate.
16:49 Much appreciated and been a pleasure working with you.
16:52 >> Okay, Shane, once again, always an honor and a privilege
16:58 to do something like this and to all the kids, well done.
17:00 I'm not sure what happened at the end, but anyway,
17:04 everybody had a go and she certainly answered the
17:08 questions fantastic.
17:09 So greetings from South Africa till the next time
17:13 and all the best, everybody.
17:14 ZD6JON, over and out.
17:17 [ Silence ]