There's an opportunity for STEM education via amateur radio that will put students in contact with astronauts. 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 aboard the International Space Station (ISS). ARISS anticipates that the contacts will be held between July 1 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 voice-only radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes long and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. Students also have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science.

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 on October 5, 2023, at 7 PM ET. Visit https://ariss-proposal-webinar-fall-2023.eventbrite.com sign up.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating organizations include NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN), the ISS National Laboratory -- Space Station Explorers, ARRL, and AMSAT.

Additional information is available at ARISS.org.