To commemorate and promote the successful contact that was established between ISS and Alexandroupolis high schools this special callsign will be on for the following days on HF.

If you would like to have a QSL please send it to the SV bureau. Our national ham association RAAG (www.raag.org) will handle the incoming QSLs and reply them.

It was a successful and inspiring event that students enjoyed to the maximum !! 

So simple and so exciting !!

For your interest, here follows the official press release from ARISS-EU chairman Gaston Bertels ON4WF:

February 11, 2009

US ASTRONAUT SANDRA MAGNUS TALKS WITH SCHOOLS IN GREECE

Wednesday, 11 February 2009 at 07:43 UTC, i.e. 09:43 local time, 1st High School Alexandroupolis, Evros, Greece established a direct contact with US astronaut Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE on board the International Space Station. The Amateur Radio school station operated the contact with callsign SX7ISS.

Sandra answered all 20 questions which had been prepared by the students.

Audience in the meeting room counted over 200 students, while 700 more students listened to the space talk in the garden. Four schools participated to the event.

Special guests were the representative of Greek Minister of Telecommunications and the Director of Education of Evros.

3 TV stations, 2 radio stations and several newspapers granted the event national coverage.

Congratulations to the schools in Alexandroupolis and to the amateur radio team, comprising Manos Darkadakis SV1IW and Cliff Sacalis, SV1JG, respectively President and Vice President RAAG - Radio Amateur Association of Greece.

Photos and an mp3 audio file will be attached to this News Bulletin, archived at:
http://www.ariss-eu.org/archive.htm

73

Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
ARISS-Europe chairman