April 15, 2025—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 participants that are part of the Pan-African Citizen Science e-lab. 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.

The hosting organization, Pan-African Citizen Science e-Lab (PACS e-Lab) (in partnership with the African Astronomical Society (AFAS)), is a nonprofit online educational platform dedicated to promoting STEM education through hands-on activities in astronomy and space science across Africa. Participants that are engaged in PACS e-Lab programs includes over a thousand individuals from various educational levels, ranging from secondary schools to tertiary institutions (ages 12 years and older), and are located in more than 50 countries in Africa. PACS e-Lab is the largest initiative of its kind on the continent, actively involving African teachers, students, and space enthusiasts in citizen science activities. The audience for the ARISS contact event will include the entire PACS e-Lab community across Africa, the AFAS community, and other stakeholders interested in STEM education.

This will be a telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions of astronaut Nichole Ayers, amateur radio call sign KJ5GWI. 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 April 18, 2025 at 11:26 am WAT (Abuja, Nigeria) (10:26 UTC, 6:26 am EDT, 5:26 am CDT, 4:26 am MDT, 3:26 am PDT).

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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. How does light pollution affect your view of Earth from space?
2. What do you do for fun on the ISS?
3. How do you drink water in space?
4. How does being in space affect your mental health?
5. What is the most important experiment happening on the ISS at the moment?
6. Will humans ever travel across the stars?
7. What inspired you to become an astronaut, and what steps should a young, ambitious person from Africa take to become an astronaut?
8. Has the ISS ever been impacted by space debris?
9. Do stars look different from space compared to how we see them on Earth?
10. How do astronauts sleep aboard the ISS?
11. What is the one thing you personally find fascinating about this job?
12. How do astronauts maintain connections with their families and loved ones during extended missions aboard the ISS?
13. How has the Overview Effect shaped your daily life on the ISS?
14. What experiment, mission, or project are you currently working on aboard the ISS?
15. How do astronauts withstand radiation and cosmic particles on the ISS?
16. How do you deal with solar storms on the ISS?
17. Do Microorganisms survive outside surfaces of the ISS?
18. When the ISS is decommissioned in 2030, will there be a new one?
19. Could you mention some impact of ISS research on humanity?
20. What does space smell like?
21. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve seen from the ISS?
22. Have you ever felt fear in space? How do you stay focused and manage it emotionally?
23. What is the fate of the ISS? Will it be sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, or will another one be built?
24. How does microgravity affect your sense of taste on the ISS?
25. Does microgravity affect problem-solving in physics and engineering?
26. How do you wash your clothes in space?
27. How can space-based muscle growth studies help treat muscle diseases on Earth?
28. How does prolonged isolation in space affect your perception of time? Have you noticed some changes in your sense of time compared to Earth?
29. How does hygiene on the ISS impact skin and breathing?
30. How do you determine directions on the ISS? Is it similar to how we do on Earth?
31. How do astronauts cope with space fog?