Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), the first-ever ISS payload activated by the crew, is gearing up for its 1000th educational radio contact in March 2016.
Since the first amateur radio contact with a school in December 2000, astronauts and cosmonauts aboard ISS have talked to students in 44 states in the US and in 51 other countries! ARISS anticipates it will celebrate its 1000th educational radio contact in March 2016.
ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the United States, the ARISS partners include the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ARISS inspires students, worldwide, to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through amateur radio communications opportunities with the ISS on-orbit crew. ARISS can organize a scheduled amateur radio contact between crew members aboard the ISS and your students in school or an informal education venue. Experienced amateur radio volunteers in your area can help ISS crews speak directly with a large audience in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, your students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For information about how your organization may pursue an ARISS contact, visit
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