April 20, 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 students at the Kars on the Rideau School located in Kars, Ontario, Canada. 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.

Kars on the Rideau Public school is an elementary school located in the rural village of Kars, Ontario, Canada, along the scenic Rideau River. The school with over 600 students was established September 1, 1975, and offers a wide range of learning experiences that reflect its rural heritage and neighborhood.

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 Hollis, New Hampshire, U.S. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign AB1OC, to establish and maintain the ISS connection.

The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for April 22, 2025 at 9:28 am EDT (Kars, Ontario, Canada) (13:28 UTC, 8:28 am CDT, 7:28 am MDT, 6:28 am PDT).

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As time allows, students will ask these questions:
1. What do you do if there is a fire?
2. Are you scared before you go into space?
3. Who inspired you to be an astronaut?
4. What is the coolest thing you’ve seen in space?
5. What was your favorite memory in space?
6. What was your first feeling when you saw earth from space?
7. How do you get into the space station from the space shuttle?
8. When you go to space, if it takes three years will it feel like it took that long?
9. What is the scariest thing that has happened in space?
10. What is the longest time you’ve spent in space?
11. Is there a maximum age you can be to go to space?
12. Have you ever questioned your desire to be an astronaut?
13. What does burger paste taste like?
14. Is there toffee in space?
15. Do your ears pop when you land?
16. Have you ever wanted to do a space walk?