Category Archives: ARISS

ARISS Proposal Window Opens, October 1—November 10, 2023

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Ed: This news was originally posted on the ARRL New England Division website. It is being offered here upon request.

ARISS News Release No. 23-47

Dave Jordan, AA4KN

ARISS PR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Message to US Educators
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity
Call for Proposals

New Proposal Window: October 1 – November 10, 2023

September 25, 2023 — The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.

The deadline to submit a proposal is November 10, 2023. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org. An ARISS Proposal Webinar session will be held October 5 2023 at 7 PM ET and the Eventbrite link to sign up is: https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2023.eventbrite.com

The Opportunity:

Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session.

An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and their communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the chance to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact.

Please direct any questions to education@ariss-usa.org.

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org.

Find us on social media at:

X – Twitter: ARISS_Intl
Facebook: facebook.com/ARISSIntl
Instagram: ariss_intl
Mastodon: ariss_intl@mastodon.hams.social
Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.

BIG E Space Chat is a “Go” on September 27, 2022

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Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, writes on the ARRL New England Division members list:

Hundreds of The Big E attendees and spectators will be able to watch students make a live contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) from The Big E Arena on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Hams who bring an official copy of their FCC license on the day of The Big E Space Chat will receive free admission for themselves and up to 3 members of their family and friends (see Instructions for Free Admission below).

NASA Astronaut Bob Hines, KI5RQT, will contact the students via a radio link provided by amateur radio ground station ON4ISS in Belgium. The contact is organized through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Around a dozen New England young people have been selected to participate in The BIG E Space Chat.

Please plan to arrive in time for the pre-contact program, which begins at 1:20 pm ET on Tuesday and will feature a series of videos about space, NASA, ARISS, going to Mars, and more. Pre-contact program speakers will include:

•       Gene Cassidy, CEO of the Eastern States Exposition
•       David Minster, NA2AA, ARRL CEO
•       Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, ARRL Director – New England Division
•       Bob Phinney, K5TEC, President, New England Sci-Tech

Instructions for Free Admission

Parking and walking to The BIG E arena will take a little time, so be sure to get there early. The arena will hold well over 1,000 people. The BIG E is helping publicize the event and is arranging for TV coverage for the program and the contact. Help us get the word out!

The Big E free admission for amateur radio operators and up to three guests (maximum 4 people) is good on Space Chat Day (Tuesday, Sept. 27) only.

•       You must present an official copy of your FCC license to the Gate Captain at The Big E pedestrian gates 1A, 1B, 4, 5, 7, or 9A to receive free admission on Space Chat Day.
•       Visit http://www.arrl.org/obtain-license-copy for instructions on downloading a copy of your FCC license to print and bring with you.
•       Parking is not included.
•       The Big E is at 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, Massachusetts.

If you’re attending The Big E, visit the amateur radio booth (#103) inside Door 6 of the Better Living Center for more information. Be sure to spread the word to your friends and fellow radio club members!

You can download and print The Big E Brochure and a Fairgrounds Map. Both are available at https://www.thebige.com/p/generalinfo/bigeinfo.

Can’t come to The BIG E on Space Chat Day? 

 A live video stream of the contact will be carried on the New England Sci-Tech YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdxnD8uF8t0.

For up to date information about Space Chat @ The BIG E, please visit https://nediv.arrl.org/big-e-space-chat.

——————————————————————–
ARRL New England Division
Director: Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
ab1oc@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

Youth On The Air 2021 Camp Makes Successful ARISS Contact

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Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, writes:

“I had the pleasure of serving as the ARISS contact moderator for the Youth On The Air (YOTA) 2021 Camp’s contact with the International Space Station (ISS) using Amateur Radio today. Young Hams spent the week at the Voice of America Bethany Relay Station in West Chester, OH engaging in a variety of Amateur Radio Activities. Ruth Willet, KM4LAO, was the host for YOTA 2021 and provided an excellent pre-contact program. The West Chester Amateur Radio Association partnered with YOTA 2021 Camp group to help them with YOTA 2021 activities and their ISS contact. You can view a video of the YOTA 2021 Camp’s contact with astronaut Aki Hoshide, KE5DNI, on the International Space Station (ISS) by clicking on the video above.

Working with a school or group to help young people make contact with an astronaut on the ISS using Amateur Radio is a great way to build a lasting relationship around Amateur Radio with young people and their teachers and mentors. In my role as an ARISS Mentor and Ground Station, I have had the pleasure to help with nine of these contacts around the world over the last several years. In every case, local Ham Radio clubs partnered with the school or group to provide STEM learning experiences based on Amateur Radio. Helping a school or group make contact with the astronaut on the ISS provides a memorable experience for everyone involved.

You can learn more about the ARISS contact program here or contact me at ab1oc@arrl.net.

Fred, AB1OC

ARISS Opens Window for ISS Ham Radio Contact Proposals on February 1

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Editors note: Generally we do not repost news items off of the ARRL HQ home page unless the news pertains directly to the Western MA section.  In this case, we’ve had school based ARISS contacts made in the section in the past and this is another opportunity to repeat an excellent experience.  Please consider it!

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is once again seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations — individually or working together — interested in hosting an amateur radio contact with an International Space Station (ISS) crew member. A window to accept proposals will open on February 1 for contacts that would be scheduled between January and June 2021. The majority of ARISS contacts involve schools and educational institutions. ARISS is looking for organizations able to attract a large number of participants that can integrate the contact opportunity into a well-developed education plan. 

“ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS,” ARISS said in announcing the proposal period. “Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science.”

 Proposal information and documents are available on the ARISS website. Two identical ARISS introductory webinars have been set for January 23 at 9 PM EST (0200 UTC on January 24) and for January 27 at 1800 EST (2300 UTC). Registration is required.

 Contacts with ISS crew members run approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. ARISS contacts are voice-only amateur radio communication opportunities. Schools and organizations typically work with a local amateur radio club to assist in handling the technical aspects of carrying out a successful contact with the ISS.

ARISS stresses that because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, schools and organizations must be flexible in accommodating changes in radio contact dates and times.

“Amateur radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity,” ARISS said. “The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using amateur radio.”

Proposal information and more details are available on the ARISS website. Contact ARISS with any questions.