Aug 1, 2026—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Geneva Christian College located in Tasmania, Australia.  ARISS conducts 60-100 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.

Geneva Christian College, which opened in 1968, is a small school in Latrobe, in North Western Tasmania, Australia, with an enrollment of about 330 students in grades Kinder to year 12.

Over the last few years, the school has invested significant resources, in facilities and staffing, to increase science subjects in senior courses.

This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of astronaut Sophie Adenot, amateur radio call sign KJ5LTN. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.

The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Casale Monferrato, Italy. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the call sign, IK1SLD to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for August 3, 2026 at 8:00:37 pm AEST (Tasmania, Australia) (10:00:37 UTC, 6:00 am EDT, 5:00 am CDT, 4:00 am MDT, 3:00 am PDT).

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As time allows, students will ask these questions:

1. What has been your favourite, or most inspiring moment while being on the ISS?
2. What is it like living on the ISS for a few months without seeing anyone except the other astronauts on board?
3. What is the most challenging situation you have been in whilst in the ISS? And did it have a good outcome?
4. What is the most beautiful sight you have seen from space?
5. Do astronauts experience any difficulty adjusting back to life on earth after being on space for months?
6. If it was up to you only, with no career pressure or mission objectives, how long would you choose to stay on the ISS?
7. How would you deal with an air leak from the ISS?
8. What would happen if an astronaut on the ISS experienced a medical emergency?
9. Nasa is planning to deorbit the ISS in a few years.  What do you think about that and how does that make you feel?
10. What one thing would you say to an aspiring teenager about working with NASA (or in the space industry)?
11. How do you prevent losing muscle strength and mass when you are on the ISS?
12. How long does it take to get accustomed to zero gravity?
13. What is your favourite food that is available on the ISS?
14. Does the light and heat from the sun feel much stronger on the ISS than on earth since it has not passed through the earth’s atmosphere?
15. What is the best thing about living on the ISS?
16. What coping mechanisms and exercises do astronauts use to handle stress during their mission aboard the ISS?
17. If people were living on Mars, how would the time lag of up to 20 minutes each way for communications with earth affect staying connected with family and friends?