Having the opportunity to participate in an ARISS contact is an incredible experience, and certainly a very memorable one. If you’re not familiar with ARISS, it stands for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. It refers to a program that facilitates contacts between student and research groups around the world and astronauts currently on the ISS.
One of the highlights of YOTA (Youth On The Air) Camps for both the staff and campers is the opportunity to take part in an ARISS contact. There are two routes student groups can take to make an ARISS contact—direct and telebridge. A telebridge contact involves a dedicated ARISS ground station, located somewhere in the world, establishing the radio link with the ISS. Before this year’s YOTA camp in Denver, the YOTA groups had only made telebridge contacts, so it was quite exciting to go through the process of conducting a direct ARISS contact.
Each ARISS contact is thoroughly planned. A tremendous amount of preparatory work goes into each one of them, with the whole process starting long before the actual contact takes place. We started the process very early, beginning with the application for the contact. Finally, after many months of paperwork and logistical/station preparation, it was time to set up everything and test our station.
After a few minor adjustments and countless test runs, everything was all set to go. The next morning, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation among the campers and staff. We tested and retested the station as we waited to start calling the ISS.
We had made a list of questions and submitted them beforehand so NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI, could prepare her answers for the short time we would be able to hear each other.
In addition to preparing and submitting the questions well in advance, we’d also run through the questions numerous times to make sure there were no issues when it came time to make the actual contact. We went over details like how fast and loud to speak, who would ask the questions, and in what order they would be presented. The process had been perfected before contact was made with the ISS so no time was wasted and we could ask as many questions as possible.
After what felt like an eternity, we began calling. Calling the ISS is always an immensely exciting moment on its own, but nothing compares to the moment that you hear the astronaut respond. Hearing the words “Welcome aboard the International Space Station” is surreal every single time you take part in an ARISS contact, regardless of how many times you’ve heard it before. After the initial contact, the excitement built with each and every question and answer.
We managed to fit 16 questions into the short amount of time we were in the footprint of the ISS. Campers learned what it smells like on the ISS, what it felt like being in space for the first time, and even whether or not poultry, such as chickens or geese, could be kept in space during long travel as a source of eggs for food. The answer: It could be attempted, but the main concern (and likely why they had not yet tried it) was that it would be challenging to maintain cleanliness on the ISS with poultry onboard.
Watch the video of the YOTA Denver Camp/ARISS event below. Contact is made and questions begin around 17:30:
ARISS contacts, whether they’re with YOTA, a research group, or a school assembly, are incredibly impactful experiences in one’s amateur radio or general radio communications career. They leave participants feeling inspired to learn.
A few years ago, my school hosted an exchange student who had found out about amateur radio because of an ARISS contact that her school had made. It left her with an awareness of the hobby and more than a vague idea of what it is. Further, ARISS contacts give both young people and their mentors a glimpse into the importance of exploration and discovery, helping shape the next generation’s career goals and dreams for their futures. They show young people that they are capable of anything they put their minds to, and that they really can do anything.
