An International Space Station Expedition 18 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Wairarapa Home School Association, Carterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand on 26 November. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 0227 UTC.

The contact will be a telebridge contact between stations NA1SS and VK4KHZ. The contact should be audible over eastern Australia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

Wairarapa Home School Association is a support group for many of the Home Schoolers in the Wairarapa province located about 90 Kms north east on Highway 2 from the Capital City, Wellington. We are a rural community consisting of dairying, cattle, sheep, timber, cropping and some fruit growing industries. The Wairarapa in Maori means "sea of sparkling waters" from Lake Wairarapa, a fresh water lake in the province. Our organisation provides a point of communication for events and resources that are in the Wairarapa, and for parents to plan events that will provide for educational and social activities for our families.

Topics in this report: 1. Upcoming School Contacts 2. First ARISS School Contact in New Zealand Successful 3. ARISS Celebrates International Education Week 4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held 1. Upcoming School Contacts The Wairarapa Home School Association in Carterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, November 26 at 02:22 UTC via telebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Students have been learning about space exploration and the International Space Station to prepare for the contact. Age appropriate studies, exercises, and activities have been undertaken by all those who will be involved in the event which will include some of the parents.

Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Endeavour Mission Specialist Don Pettit have proven their knack for detailed maintenance work during previous stays at the International Space Station and have once again put their skills to use.

The Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) inside the Water Recovery System (WRS), which recycles condensate and urine onboard the station, has experienced several shutdowns during testing. Engineers believe motion of the centrifuge caused physical interference within the UPA, resulting in increased power draw and temperatures.

Fincke and Pettit removed grommets from the UPA and hard-mounted it into the WRS rack. The grommets were serving as isolators to dampen vibrations from the centrifuge, but might have been allowing too much motion and causing the interference. Mission Control has been monitoring the UPA's operation and it has been running normally for two hours without prematurely shutting down.