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Photo: NASA / ARISS – NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli during an ARISS amateur-radio session at a Kenwood D710GA radio station in the Columbus module of the ISS.
In the latest issue of the AMSAT News Service dated September 13, 2026 reminded readers of the ongoing call for applications from European schools and youth organizations to participate in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station – ARISS. The program enables students to communicate directly by radio with a member of the International Space Station crew. The call is open to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and therefore also to institutions in Poland.

Applications during the current application window may be submitted until October 23, 2026. In addition to the application form, the school or organization must prepare an educational project related, among other areas, to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, space, or radio communications. Project selection is scheduled for December 2026, while the contacts themselves are to take place between July and December 2027.

Selected institutions receive support from an ARISS mentor, who assists with the technical and organizational preparation of the event. The contact may be conducted directly from the school’s radio station or in a telebridge format using one of the cooperating ARISS ground stations. The organizers note that project selection alone does not provide an unconditional guarantee that the contact will take place—the timing depends, among other factors, on the ISS orbit, the crew’s schedule, and the station’s ongoing activities.

A typical ARISS contact lasts approximately 10 minutes. During this time, students ask questions prepared in advance, and an astronaut responds directly from aboard the ISS. The program combines space education with the practical use of amateur radio and radio communications. 

AMSAT News Service
ARISS Europe – call for schools to contact the ISS
ARISS school contact procedure