Grant: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

Grant Date: May 2021
Amount: $4,122

The mission of the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) is to provide informal science learning experiences that ignite curiosity, encourage discovery, and inspire investigation.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) allows students worldwide to experience the excitement of communicating directly with crew members of the International Space Station, inspiring them to pursue interests in careers in science, technology, engineering and math, and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio. MOST will be contacting the crew of the ISS in fall of 2021. This will impact at least 20 middle school children with their direct questions over ham radio to a designated astronaut. More broadly, this event will involve the entire community of parents, siblings, and the City of Syracuse.

For a successful contact with the ISS, the MOST needs the proper equipment. ARDC is providing funding for a ham radio capable of utilizing the proper frequency, related antennas, feed line, tracking software, and computer equipment. Once the contact is complete, this equipment will complement the other ham radio gear in the MOST permanent amateur radio station, K2MST.

To learn more about MOST, visit https://www.most.org/.