The deadline is Friday, April 15 for proposals from schools and formal or informal educational institutions and organizations — individually or working together — to host an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact next year with an ISS crew member. ARISS anticipates that contacts would take place between January 1 and June 30, 2017. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates.

To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS seeks proposals from schools and organizations that can draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Each FM-voice contact lasts about 10 minutes — the length of a typical overhead ISS pass from horizon to horizon.

ARISS contacts offer an opportunity for students and educators to interact with an ISS crew member in a question-and-answer format, so participants can learn firsthand from the astronaut or cosmonaut what it’s like to live and work in space and to learn about space research on the ISS. Students also will get a chance to observe and learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Applicants must be flexible in accommodating changes in contact dates and times.

Contact ARISS for more information.