Tag Archives: International Space Station

Oct 9 2026

Wick High School ARISS Contact a Great Success

Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU - Credit: Canadian Space Agency

Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU – Credit: Canadian Space Agency

Wick High School (@GM0WHS on X) in Caithness used amateur radio to have an eight minute question and answer session with astronaut Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU on the International Space Station (ISS).

This historic event took place at 12:29 BST on Thursday, October 8, 2026, and was the most northerly school contact with the ISS ever achieved anywhere in the world.  At a latitude of 58.4° North the space station was low on the horizon making it particularly challenging.

In addition to the 150 students and dozens of parents gathered in the dance studio for the event, students and feeder primary school pupils across the region were able watch a live web stream.

The event was a great success and attracted considerable media interest. A full video of the event at the school has been made available on the ARISS Operations UK Team YouTube channel

Among the media outlets reporting on the event were:

BBC News article and video
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c94g1jle86y8o

STV News
https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/wick-high-school-pupils-speak-with-astronaut-joshua-kutryk-on-international-space-station

The John O’Groat Journal
https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/the-audio-was-so-clear-caithness-school-makes-radio-cont-447025/

The Scotsman newspaper
https://www.scotsman.com/education/from-caithness-to-space-school-radio-club-contacts-astronauts-on-space-station-9275794

BBC Scotland used a phone to shoot a video of the Wick High School contact with ISS:
https://x.com/BBCScotlandNews/status/2108225654516756916

Further information on the contact and a list of all the questions asked is at
https://amsat-uk.org/2026/10/03/astronaut-to-use-amateur-radio-to-talk-to-uk-students/

The ARISS program is aimed at students and enthusiasts and aims to inspire them in the study of sciences with this amateur radio activity. The demonstration of amateur radio communication from space invites schools and universities to make use of these educational technical resources. We invite radio amateurs and space enthusiasts to tune in to this exciting moment.

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Free UK amateur radio Online Training course https://essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/

Follow AMSAT-UK on X

Oct 3 2026

Astronaut to use Amateur Radio to Talk to UK Students

Wick High School ARISS Contact DetailsRescheduled Date: Students at Wick High School in Caithness will use amateur radio to ask astronaut Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU questions about space.

The ARISS contact, using the call signs NA1SS on the International Space Station and GB4WHS at the school, will take place on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 12:29 PM BST (11:29 GMT). You can listen in to the ISS downlink on 145.800 MHz (plus/minus 3 kHz Doppler shift) FM.

The event will be streamed live at https://live.ariss.org/

The space and ground teams will attempt to use the HamTV transmitter during this contact to send live Digital Amateur TV pictures of the astronaut on a frequency of 2395 MHz.

The HamTV downlink will be streamed at https://live.ariss.org/hamtv/

Wick High School is a comprehensive secondary school with 725 students aged 11-18. The school has 9 feeder primaries with around 800 children aged 5-11. The Caithness community is in the very far north of mainland Scotland. The area has a large employment focus on engineering, nuclear and renewable energy, with many of our students looking to careers in these industries. The High School encourages and supports pathways into these industries through our excellent Technologies departments.

The Wick High School Radio Club, GMØWHS, plays an important role in this programme by introducing students to amateur radio, satellite communications and wireless technology. Through practical activities, pupils develop technical knowledge alongside teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills while gaining an insight into careers in engineering, aerospace and technology, all while studying for their industry-recognised Foundation licence qualification.

For many young people living in this remote part of Scotland, opportunities to engage directly with the space sector are limited. A live conversation with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station would provide an unforgettable educational experience, raising aspirations and inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.

Young questioners with their practice cue cards at Wick High School

Young questioners with their practice cue cards – Credit: Wick High School

Questions (if the time of radio contact allows):
1. Which one thing do movies always get wrong about space?
2. What changed in your perspective on Earth after seeing it from outer space?
3. Why do you take the risk of going up into space?
4. What do you do if you have to go outside the ISS?
5. What do you find hard about living in the Space Station?
6. How does food taste in space compared to here on Earth?
7. How much do you use the phonetic alphabet in space?
8. What experiment were you most excited to work on?
9. Which part of your job, when you are in space, is your favourite?
10. How did you prepare your body and mind for going to space?
11. I dream of being an astronaut. What skills should I learn to become an astronaut?
12. I like to play games at home. Do astronauts play games in space?
13. Do astronauts get space sick like getting car sick?
14. Have you ever broke anything on ISS?
15. What other planets have you seen when up in space?
16. When you first went to space were you surprised by anything?
17. What do you do in your free time?
18. In what way is a spacesuit comfortable or uncomfortable?
19. How did you feel when you got chosen to go on the Space Station?
20. Can you get a power outage in space and what would happen?

In an article in the TES (Times Educational Supplement) magazine teacher Chris Aitken MM0WIC explained why he started an amateur radio club at Wick High School.
https://tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/general/why-i-started-amateur-radio-club-my-school

Follow Wick High School Radio Club on X https://x.com/GM0WHS

Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU - Credit: Canadian Space Agency

Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU – Credit: Canadian Space Agency

Follow astronaut Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU on X https://x.com/Astro_Kutryk

The ARISS program is aimed at students and enthusiasts and aims to inspire them in the study of sciences with this amateur radio activity. The demonstration of amateur radio communication from space invites schools and universities to make use of these educational technical resources. We invite radio amateurs and space enthusiasts to tune in to this exciting moment.

The latest information on the ARISS operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

How to hear the ISS https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-hear-the-iss/

You can use the AMSAT-UK/BATC WebSDR to listen to the contact on your mobile device https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Free UK amateur radio Online Training course https://essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/

Oct 17 2025

UK Scouts to talk to Space Station

1st Radford Semele Scout Group ISS ContactThe amateur radio scouting event Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) is taking place this weekend October 18-19.

Scouts from the 1st Radford Semele Scout Group at Radford Semele, UK, are planned to talk to astronaut Jonny Kim KJ5HKP on the International Space Station on Saturday, October 18 at 10:49 AM BST (09:49:40 GMT).

Jonny Kim will answer questions from Scouts in United Kingdom during this live amateur radio contact.

Astronaut Jonny Kim will operate the amateur radio station call sign NA1SS aboard the ISS and will call the radio amateur ground station call sign GB4RSS in United Kingdom. This is a live ARISS radio contact from the 1st Radford Semele Scout Group in Radford Semele, UK. You can listen live to astronaut Jonny Kim aboard the ISS on 145.800 MHz FM (plus/minus 3 kHz Doppler shift).

1st Radford Semele Scout Group ISS HamTVThe Space Station amateur radio transmission should be receiveable across the British Isles and Europe using just a handheld radio with a 1/4 wave whip.

Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

The space and ground teams will attempt to use the recently reinstalled HamTV transmitter during this contact. HamTV DATV frequency is 2395 MHz.

In preparation for this ARISS contact, the HamTV transmitter will be tested with a color bar screen during the preceding pass. The pre-contact pass over Europe is at 8:15 UTC.

The event will be streamed live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFBgDKPg4Mk

The HamTV downlink will be streamed:
https://live.ariss.org/hamtv/

English is the expected language of communication for this amateur radio contact.

Questions:
1. Is being on the ISS like living on Mars
2. Can you see the Milky Way from there?
3. Do plants still grow towards the sun on the ISS?
4. What’s the funniest thing that’ has happened to you in space
5. What happens if you drop something in space, does it float forever?
6. Have you ever seen a space storm or shooting star from the ISS
7. Have you ever had to fix something important in space, and what happened?
8. Do you ever play tricks or jokes on each other
9. What do you eat for breakfast in space? Cereal would float away
10. How does a space walk feel?
11. Does food taste different in space? Better or worse?
12. What’s the coolest experiment you’ve done in space?
13. Do you feel Dizzy when you get back to earth
14. With Halloween coming up, do you hear creepy sounds on the ISS?
15. Do you play Board Games on the ISS? Which ones?
16. What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced while living on the space station?

The ARISS program is aimed at students and enthusiasts and aims to inspire them in the study of sciences with this amateur radio activity. The demonstration of amateur radio communication from space invites schools and universities to make use of these educational technical resources. We invite radio amateurs and space enthusiasts to tune in to this exciting moment.

Check out the ARISS website and follow ARISS on the official social media channels for more updates.
https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

ARISS-Europe News Bulletins are distributed by AMSAT Belgium.

Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since schedule changes can occur.

Follow AMSAT-UK on X

Jul 11 2025

SSTV from the ISS in July

ISS SSTV Series 28An ARISS SSTV event from the International Space Station will begin no earlier than July 14 with the expectation that the event will run through the weekend into the beginning of the following week.

This is all subject to Axiom Mission AX-4 schedule and other operational considerations. AX-4 is expected to depart from ISS on Monday, July 14 at 11:05 GMT (12:05pm BST)

The subject will be the 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) and the 40th anniversary of STS-51F.

STS-51F was the second SAREX flight and had the first use of SSTV in human spaceflight.

Start: Monday, July 14 1605 GMT (10:45am BST)
End: Sunday, July 20 1800 GMT (7pm BST)

Frequency: 145.800 MHz FM (+/-3.5 kHz Doppler Shift)
SSTV Mode: PD120 (Transmission cycle 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off)

You are invited to upload decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area “ARISS Series 28 Apollo Soyuz and STS-51F” at: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/

Once you’ve submitted, just clicking on the dedicated button you can apply for the official ARISS SSTV award.

Also, you can request the ARISS QSL by contacting the European QSL bureau: https://www.ariss-eu.org/index.php/ariss-station/european-qsl-bureau

To support everyone interested in such events, the European Space Agency released tutorials about how to receive pictures transmitted over amateur radio by the International Space Station: you can find them on https://issfanclub.eu/2024/11/08/esa-tips-how-to-get-pictures-from-the-international-space-station-via-amateur-radio-2/

It’s always possible to receive the ISS SSTV signal by using the WebSDR at the Goonhilly Earth Station, the audio can then be fed into your PC or Smartphone SSTV App  https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/

Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since changes can occur.

Reminder, the images are sent on a (roughly) 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off schedule. So if you don’t hear anything, give it 2 minutes!

Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at https://www.amsat.org/track/

Useful information on receiving the pictures and links for Apps to display the pictures can be found here:
https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

You may be able to get publicity for the amateur radio hobby if you contact your local newspaper and tell them you’ve received a picture (doesn’t have to be perfect) from the International Space Station, see
https://amsat-uk.org/2015/02/04/iss-sstv-in-uk-press/

Follow AMSAT-UK on X

Nov 20 2021

ISS SSTV Dec 1 145.800 MHz FM

ISS SSTV MAI-75 image 9/12 received by Chertsey Radio Club on Baofeng handheld

ISS SSTV MAI-75 image 9/12 received by Chertsey Radio Club on Baofeng handheld

Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are planning to transmit Slow Scan TV images on 145.800 MHz FM using the SSTV mode PD-120.

The transmissions are part of the Moscow Aviation Institute SSTV experiment (MAI-75) and will be made from the amateur radio station RS0ISS in the Russian ISS Service module (Zvezda) using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver.

December 1, 2021 (Wednesday) from 12:25 GMT until 18:45 GMT*

*Dates and times subject to change.

The signal should be receivable on a handheld with a 1/4 wave whip. If your rig has selectable FM filters try the wider filter for 25 kHz channel spacing.

You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at https://www.amsat.org/track/

ARISS SSTV Blog https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/

Useful SSTV info and links https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

Jul 8 2020

ESA promote amateur radio in ISS SSTV video

The space agency ESA has released a video ‘How to get pictures from the International Space Station via Amateur Radio’ along with a collection of Tutorial videos explaining how to receive ISS Slow Scan TV (SSTV) pictures for different computers and mobile devices.

Did you know that astronauts on the International Space Station send pictures from space to ground over amateur radio that you yourself can get at home using your computer? ESA show you how to get them, step by step.

The video features radio amateur David Honess 2E0XDO (ex-M6DNT).

Watch How to get pictures from the International Space Station via amateur radio

See these Tutorials on how to receive SSTV pictures from the ISS for specific operating systems such as Windows 10, Apple iOS & Mac OSX, Android, Raspberry Pi, etc
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Sets/Radio_ISS/(result_type)/videos

YouTube Tutorials Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtC-BPcMruA&list=PLbyvawxScNbt5Mjfty4Ik-Tt6du-6N5jD

Read the Raspberry Pi article Pictures from space via ham radio
https://www.raspberrypi.org/magpi/pictures-from-space-via-ham-radio/

ISS SSTV info and links https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Free UK amateur radio online training course https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/