ARISS: Talking to the astronauts via ham radio and how it inspires students

The ARISS (Amateur Radio on ISS) program is an international consortium of amateur radio organizations and space agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Their goal is to allow students worldwide to talk to the International Space Station (ISS) astronauts with the hopes of inspiring students to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) while introducing them to amateur radio. The NASA Glenn Amateur Radio Club (NGARC) in collaboration with the NASA Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) at NASA Glenn Research Center helped the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) make contact with the ISS astronauts using ARISS. The specific activities undertaken by each of these organizations will be discussed starting from the proposal selection, throughout planning to the eventual contact the Girl Scouts made with the ISS astronauts. In addition, this presentation will discuss how schools and youth organizations are able to utilize the ARISS radio contact to enhance their educational objectives to support not only STEM goals but also other areas like foreign languages, geography, music and the arts. The space station, as it travels around the Earth, is a perfect way to discuss not only orbital mechanics but geography to students, while the questions asked by students allow them to learn about science concepts based on responses from the astronauts to their specific science questions. As the time from proposal selection to the actual contact could be up to a year, schools and youth organizations are able to engage all age groups in this year-long preparation as well as plan activities with their local community. Together the end result is to ultimately help students make a 10-minute contact with the ISS astronauts that is unforgettable for all in attendance.