ARISS Team Members,

All,

This e-mail was sent to the ARISS volunteer team. On behalf of the ARISS International Team I wish you all a very happy holiday season.

73, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO

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I want to wish each of you a very happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year.

This past year has been incredible for ARISS, filled with outstanding new opportunities and a lifetime of memories for all--> school children, educators, the general public, ham radio operators and the on-orbit crews. As we look back on this past year, we continue to be thankful for the support of the on-orbit crew members who volunteer their precious personal time to operate the ham radio system for us. And we thank each one of you---the ARISS volunteers---for your outstanding support to the program. This program would not be possible without the phenomenal hardware development and operations support provided by this internationally-based ARISS team of volunteers. While we are called radio Amateurs, you are definitely PROFESSIONALS in my book.

The Astronaut Richard Garriott on the ISS used this software to help you take pictures of the earth. Richard sent some pictures of the screen via SSTV this software directly from Notebook. The "Windows on Earth" is an excellent digital simulation that allows the exploitation of the land of a window of the International Space Station.

For those who do not know and want to give the simulation between the link below:

http://winearth.terc.edu/appISSFlight/

To view SSTV images of software sent by Richard Garriott when he was on the ISS see the links below:

http://www.issfanclub.com/node/7802

An International Space Station Expedition 18 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA on 27 December. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 1559 UTC.

The contact will be a direct between stations NA1SS and WA2HOM. The contact should be audible over most of N. America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English.

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is 40,000 square feet of science, math and fun located in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Opening in 1982, the Museum has welcomed over 3.5 million guests, averaging 200,000 guests annually. The Museum has received national recognition by the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Named Best Museum in 2003 by The Detroit Free Press, The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is consistently rated the Best Kids' Activity in the annual "Best of Ann Arbor" list.