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Amateur Radio on the ISS

The International Space Station is operational and permanently manned by teams of astronauts and cosmonauts, most of whom have amateur licenses. Amateurs from the ISS partner countries, in the USA, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada, have set up the ARISS program, a program who's mission is to foster amateur radio communications between the astronauts and cosmonauts who reside on the station. These include scheduling and assisting with school contacts, promoting field day and arranging other special events. Additionally the ARISS team works to help astronauts and cosmonauts who do not have amateur licenses become licensed before launch.

The first amateur radio equipment was carried to the ISS on Space Shuttle Atlantis in September 2000 and installed by the Expedition 1 crew. The first amateur contacts were made by Commander William Shepherd in mid November 2000, and the first school contact took place in December 2000.

Astronaut Susan Helms KC7NHZ having a QSO

Communicating with the ISS

To work ISS from your home, you should have at least the following Amateur Radio equipment. A 2-meter radio with an output rating of 5 watts or more. While it's possible to operate with an omni-directional antenna and even a whip, a small beam antenna similar to the Arrow antenna works much better and will increase your chances of success. If you plan to operate in packet mode a standard 1200 baud AX.25 TNC should be used and connected to a computer running APRS or other packet communications software.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a volunteer program which inspires students, worldwide, to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math through amateur radio communications opportunities with the International Space Station (ISS) on-orbit crew. Students learn about life on board the ISS and explore Earth from space through science and math activities. ARISS provides opportunities for the school community (students, teachers, families and local residents) to become more aware of the substantial benefits of human spaceflight and the exploration and discovery that occur on spaceflight journeys along with learning about technology and amateur radio.

ARISS is an international working group, consisting of delegations from 9 countries including several countries in Europe as well as Japan, Russia, Canada, and the USA. The organization is run by volunteers from the national amateur radio organizations and the international AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) organizations from each country. Since ARISS is international in scope, the team coordinates locally with their respective space agency (e.g. ESA, NASA, JAXA, CSA, and the Russian Space Agency) and as an international team through ARISS working group meetings, teleconferences and through electronic mail.

What is amateur radio?

Amateur radio is a form of communication, a hobby and a community service. An amateur radio operator could be a school teacher in Nova Scotia trading teaching methods over the radio with another radio amateur who is also a teacher, in New Zealand. An amateur radio operator could be a British teenager using her computer to upload a chess move through her radio which is retrieved by a fellow chess fan in Australia via an amateur radio space satellite. An amateur radio operator could be a Swedish truck driver speaking via amateur radio to a Russian scientist at the South Pole. Radio amateurs also save lives as part of an emergency communications network. Amateur radio is a unique, fascinating and friendly hobby that captivates the interest of millions of people around the world. It is fun for everyone!


ARISS Contact Options

ARISS school contacts can be performed in one of two ways:

        - a DIRECT radio link between an amateur radio station set up in your school and the amateur station onboard the ISS

        - a TELEBRIDGE, where a dedicated ARISS amateur radio ground station, located somewhere in the world, establishes the radio link with the ISS. Voice communications between your students and the astronauts are then patched over regular telephone lines.

One of the goals of this program is to involve students with amateur radio. A direct contact will give your students an opportunity to speak via amateur radio and learn how the radio system works. If your school has an amateur radio station that you plan to use for a direct contact, then the station must meet certain technical requirements that are outlined in section I of the ARISS Contact Requirements form. If you do not have a station, then you may be able to work with a local ham radio club to have them install and operate a portable station at your school. To learn more about amateur radio and to locate an amateur radio club near you, please contact your ARISS representative.

If you are unable to support a direct contact then a telebridge can also be a rewarding experience for students and faculty. The ARISS team will help the school set up the telebridge contact and give your students an opportunity to speak via amateur radio and learn how amateur radio works.

For either direct or telebridge contacts, please work with your local amateur radio operators who can mentor your school in technology lessons and many related skills.

Educational materials are available from ISS partner space agencies. Refer to the links on the Frequently Asked Questions page and ask your ARISS school mentor for these materials.

To apply for an ARISS contact, follow the links below for instructions on how to complete the application. You will also find a requirements form and a checklist to help you through the ARISS process. The information that you supply will be held in confidence. Past experience has shown that when ARISS planners need to contact the school, the more names and phone numbers, the better. This is why we are asking for complete contact information – even the principal’s home phone number. In the fast-paced world of radio contact opportunities, ISS scheduling changes may occur with only a few days' notice and the need to make contact with someone from the school becomes paramount.

You should expect that it will take between 1.5 and 2 years from the time your application is submitted until the contact occurs.

ARISS Application Form Instructions
ARISS Application Form

How to Convert Longitude and Latitude to Decimal Format
ARISS Contact Requirements
ARISS School Contact Checklist
24 hours ARISS School Contact Confirmation
Release Forms Requirement
Release Form

Evaluation Form
ARISS Post-School Contact Survey


Send completed application forms to:

USA: The American Radio Relay League ARISS@arrl.org
Europe: J. Hahn, DL3LUM / PA1MUC dl3lum@hahnworld.eu
Russia: Valeriy Agabekov, N2WW/UA6HZ n2ww@arrl.net
Japan (and all Region 3 countries): Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB iaru-r3@jarl.or.jp
Canada (and all other countries ): Maurice-André Vigneault, VE3VIG ve3vig@amsat.org

ARISS INFORMATION COURTSEY OF