ARISS will be bringing an all-star lineup to Dayton, Ohio, next week as part of the Hamvention 2026 event taking place at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center from Friday, May 15, to Sunday, May 17.

​The fun starts on Friday afternoon at the ARDC Forum, where ARISS Executive Director Frank Bauer will give a short presentation on the mechanics of how we “connect kids with astronauts in space.”

​Frank’s presentation will focus on the ARDC-funded STEREO initiative (Student and Teacher Education via Radio Experimentation and Operations) and a key element of STEREO, the SPARKI kit (Space Pioneers Amateur Radio Initiative).

SPARKI is a hands-on learning tool that enables educators to teach students about basic electronics, radio waves and frequency, codes and cyphers, and principles of software-defined radios. ​

John Shoffner operating the ham radio on the ISS

​STEREO goes beyond SPARKI by providing funding to support ISS school contacts, workshops and outreach to educators. We teach them how to use SPARKI kits and how to develop and submit successful ISS contact proposals, which include classroom lessons on space and amateur radio.

On Saturday afternoon, we launch into space during the ARISS Forum where Axiom-2 private astronaut and amateur radio operator, John Shoffner (W7DU), will describe his experiences on his trip to the International Space Station in 2022.

Afterward, John will stop by the ARISS booth (Building 4, Booth 4301-4302) for a meet and greet.

​​It’s stacking up to be a great weekend in Dayton, so if you’re in the area, please stop by and meet the team! We’ll be in Booth 4301-4302 in Building 4 (Volta).