December 2, 2025—ARISS today released a new NASA-produced video detailing how astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) use ham radio to talk to students in classrooms around the world. In the 4-minute video—filmed this summer during astronaut Nichole Ayers’ five-month stay on the ISS—she explains the end-to-end process of how an audio and/or video contact is made between the ISS and a classroom.

This month also marks ARISS’s 25th year of continuous operations on the ISS. During that time, the organization has connected 1 million kids in classrooms and informal educational settings to the ISS through nearly 1,800 ham radio contacts.

ARISS maximizes the value of each 10-minute contact by working with educators in the 4-6 months leading up to the event. Students learn about space science, living and working in space, ISS research and radio communications.

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