HOUSTON - The International Space Station crew have been preparing for the planned arrival next week of the Space Shuttle Discovery on a complex mission to rewire the station's electrical system.Shuttle Discovery is due to launch at 8:35 p.m. CST Thursday, Dec. 7 on mission STS-116. In addition to work that will bring power online at the station from solar arrays delivered to the complex in September, Discovery also will bring a new crew member to the outpost.

Source: http://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/archive/sarex/48hour/msg00134.html

NASA has set Thursday, December 7, as the launch date for the next space shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Shuttle Discovery will carry three radio amateurs, one of whom -- US astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB -- will join ISS Expedition 14 in progress.

NASA senior managers today unanimously recommended launching the Space Shuttle Discovery on December 7. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 9:35 p.m. EST on the STS-116 mission, one of the most challenging flights to continue building the International Space Station.

During the 12-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work closely with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to install a new segment of the station's girder-like truss and activate the station's permanent, complex power and cooling systems.

Source: http

International Space Station Expedition 14 crew commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, told Belgian schoolchildren earlier this month that he's been enjoying a busy time in space now that he's gotten used to the routine aboard the ISS. Via NA1SS Lopez-Alegria spoke November 10 to students at Henri D'Haese Primary School in Gentbrugge. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the contact. One youngster wanted to know what kinds of activities the ISS crew was engaged in.

Complete story at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/11/28/102/?nc=1

Audio file

This night Sunday November 26 at 04:35-04:55 UTC and 06:10-06:32 UTC will be conducted the Space PLASMA Experiment from International Space Station over Europe. A total of 206 Amateur Radio operators are registered to the project collaborating with the Central Research Institute for Machine Building (TsNIIMASH) in Korolev and 140 or more of them will be involved this night.
TsNIIMASH participates in all Russian (USSR) space programmes since 1946 when was established.
Transmissions from ISS will be at 145.800 MHz standard packet 1200 baud to test the plasma effects on the communications.
This will be a "COLD" test without Plasma engine active but very important the same to test the amateur radio network on earth.

Two residents of the International Space Station ventured outside the complex Wednesday for a 5 hour, 38 minute spacewalk to reposition, deploy and relocate equipment and conduct a commercially sponsored activity.

With Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter inside to monitor systems, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin opened the hatch to the Pirs Docking Compartment airlock at 6:17 p.m. CST as the station flew over the Atlantic Ocean near the west coast of Africa. They wore Russian Orlan spacesuits for the 19th spacewalk conducted out of Pirs since it was mated to the Russian segment of the station in September 2001 during Tyurin's first flight as part of Expedition 3.

I have listened to the questions the pupils of Centre Hasting secondary asked the astronauts but I cannot understand the replies! Is there a written copy of the answers to the questions?

Our school is lucky enough to have the communications bus GB4FUN come on monday 27th of november. We are hoping that the operator will try to make contact with the ISS that morning. In preparation I have asked my pupils to come up with some suitable questions - not the FAQs, but more related to the experiments they are carrying out.
The school is Chatham House grammar school, call sign M0DLI.
John Hislop

ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio training session on Monday, November 20. Fugelsang will fly on the Shuttle STS-116 mission scheduled to launch on December 7, and plans to participate in an ARISS contact during his flight.

A few weeks ago Expedition 5 commander Valeri Korzun has visited the Mount Athos monastery where he met Father Apollo (SV2ASP/A).
The two Amateur Radio operators used to have daily QSOs on 2m and digital photograph exchanges.
Thanks to Veronica IK3ZAW the following article was translated directly from Father Apollo's original description of this special event.

After my studies, I followed the path of the complete dedication to Christ and became a monk in 1973. I am member of the administrative council of my monastery (‘The Assembly of the Elders' ), and I am ranked third after the Abbot. My competences include hydraulics, electrics, heavy machinery operations and other general duties related to the maintenance of the monastery.

After months of inactivity, the ISS is finally back on voice.
Mikhail Tyurin has been heard twice over North America answering questions to unidentified ground stations.
The contacts are unknown and not part of any official Ariss activity.
The uplink probably wasn't the standard one since many stations all over the US and Canada tried to have the contact unsuccessfully.