Mill Springs Academy in Alpharetta, GA launched the new school year with a conversation with Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR on September 4, 2013 as he flew overhead on the ISS.  Science teacher Martha Muir, W4MSA,  reports, "Our ARISS contact was phenomenal!  It had an impact on everyone – young and old. Since we were inviting folks here from other schools and didn’t want them to drive here for just the 10 minutes of the astronaut chat, we scheduled the launching of over 50 model rockets that the 7^th and 8^th graders have been working on and invited our guests to watch this as well.  We also invited our guests to stop by our apiary and farm.  One of the teachers who maintains the apiary and farm invited guests to pick some okra.  As I told some folks, we do all kinds of science here.  This has been an amazing start to the school year."

To learn more about the experience click here.

Pictured here are students and adults dressed up standing onstage.

At the JOTA Jamboree held in 2011 in Oklahoma, boyscouts were able to make an ARISS contact while implementing new programs related to the Radio merit badge. These new activities consisted of an electronic foxhunt, radiosurgery, creating symbolic equipment and last but not least, contacting astronauts in space!
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A 6th grade class at Northland Preparatory School in Flagstaff, AZ build a radio telescope, use radio to explore the heavens, track a high altitude balloon, and on May 24, 2012, talk to astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR, on the ISS during a scheduled contact.
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With the assistance of  members of the Polk County Amateur Radio Club, students at Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet Middle School, St. Paul, Minnesota learned how to track the ISS and how radio contacts with satellites work.  They spoke with astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT, on May 7, 2012.  A local news station tells the story.

The TEAM! Students, ham radio operators, school officials and invited guests pose for a photo after the contact with astronaut Don Pettit.

March 2011 - Students gathered at Fair Lawn High School in New Jersey, to take part in a scheduled ARISS contact organized by junior Zach Feinberg.  “I’ve always found space fascinating and wanted to speak to an astronaut,” Feinberg said. “I wanted to bring my passion for technology and science to others.” Five students asked Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli, who was orbiting at 17,000 mph above the Earth's surface, several questions.

March 2010-- Walnut Creek Elementary Students in Azle, Texas recently had the experience of a lifetime when they made contact with Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard the International Space Station. As participants in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program (ARISS), the 4th graders used amateur radio to ask Noguchi questions during the 10 minute opportunity. Fox 4 News covered the event.

December 2009-- On Monday, December 14, Expedition 21 astronaut Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ,d participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students from Istituto Comprensivo di Govone - Scuola Secondaria di primo grado “Nino Costa” di Priocca in Priocca, Cuneo, Italy. The contact was held at Infinito Astronomic Park in Pino Torinese, Torino, where an audience of more than 150 students, teachers, visitors and media watched as the students posed 22 questions to the astronaut during the nine minute pass. Following the contact, ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis spoke to the children via teleconference about the contact and amateur radio. Regional television, local media and newspapers covered the event. The video, which was streamed on the web, received over 170 connections. The European Space Agency (ESA) reported the news on its Web site.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2009 students from Midvalley Elementary School in Midvale, Utah participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ. The school prepared for the contact using NASA lesson plan resources and integrated the ARISS activity into the school curriculum at many grade levels. Children learned about Amateur Radio, electromagnetic waves and the ISS and even viewed IMAX Space Station video.  Nineteen questions were answered during the nine minute pass. Approximately 200 students were present for the contact and others listened in from their classrooms. Dr. David Doty (the school district superintendent), school board members and district directors were also present. Two major Salt Lake City newspapers, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret Morning News as well as Channel 4 (ABC) television, Fox 13 and the local community newspaper all covered the event. This was the first ARISS contact for Utah.

 
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During Expeditions 24 and 25 Doug Wheelock made 17 scheduled Amateur Radio contacts with schools around the world and over 1,500 contacts with individual radio amateurs.

Read more:

ISS Astronaut Creating Ham Radio Buzz, Taking Science to Students

ISS Expedition 24/25 Crew Back on Terra Firma

Students at Pine Tree Middle School, Longview, Texas, participated in a successful ARISS direct contact on September 9, 2011 led by ARRL Education & Technology Program Instructor, Tommy Gober, N5DUX. Amateur Radio equipment received from the ARRL Teachers Institute program was used to make the contact.

Gober reports, "Once we heard Astronaut Mike Fossum, KF5AQG, after a very brief hello exchange, we delved right into the students asking their questions due to time constraints. Mike said we were a little weak at first, but that was because he was about 1° or 2° off the horizon and signal strengths picked up from there. I think the final questions asked count was about 20 questions give or take. The school's IT department had a video stream from NASA.gov from aboard the ISS, which was a great visual to accompany my ISS tracking map on the other screen.

One kid in the audience asked, "Is this signal analog or digital? Are you using VHF or UHF?" - in 5th grade! Uncoached. Talk about a future ham!!!"

To listen to a brief recording of a segment of the contact, courtesy of Stewart Morgan, AL0I, click here.

Students at Kiroli Elementary School in West Monroe, LA, celebrated a successful ARISS contact with Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, KE5DAW, on September 22, 2011 as the highlight of their recent technology studies. A licensed 5^th grader, Connor Wiedemeier, KF5MTQ, initiated the contact for the 500 other watching students. The school faculty led 5th grade science class students through three weeks of space studies; first graders began their space lessons last week, and students in other grade levels were to participate in several technology-related classes. A professor of physics at University of Louisiana in Monroe (ULM) is scheduling 4 visits this fall for Kiroli students to the ULM observatory to learn about planets, stars, and electromagnetics. Dr. Paul Wiedemeier, KE5LKY, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at (ULM), and Dr. Mark Hammond, N8MH, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Campbell University in North Carolina assisted educators in setting up ham radio schedules between Kiroli students and students at the Coats Elementary School in Coats, NC. The hams taught students about Amateur Radio satellites, ISS and ARISSat. Read more.

In preparation for their ham radio interview with an astronaut September 24, 2009, students at Garfield Elementary School in Boise, ID explored a range of topics that engaged their interest in technology, math and science and provided opportunitites for teachers to stress the importance of math and science in expanding our knowledge and horizons.

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