NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Communication is an essential component of a manned NASA mission. It is important for astronauts to stay in contact with Mission Control. One way astronauts keep in touch on the International Space Station is with amateur radio, or HAM radio. This method is also a means for the public to communicate with astronauts on board the Station.

How does HAM radio work?

How can educators and students participate in HAM radio connections?

You see it on television: NASA officials contact astronauts on the Space Station through radio hookups. There's another way to keep in touch with crewmembers, though, and anyone with a ham radio system can participate. And just for the record, the conversations don't start with "Breaker, breaker one-niner."

Amateur radio, also called ham radio, has become the fun way for average folks to communicate with Space Shuttle and Space Station astronauts. Anyone with a scanner can listen to the communications that take place between Earth and space, and if you have a transmitter, you can get in on the conversations.

While individuals can monitor Space Station transmissions from home, school groups can make it a class project and work closely with ham radio operators and NASA staff members to schedule a conversation with the astronauts. The ARISS project was started with that goal in mind: classes of students interacting directly with astronauts through ham radio linkups.

Sequence of Events

The links below are previews of the pre-activities only. For the complete module and event information, please see the Complete Educator Guide link for each grade level.

Grade K-4

     "Give Me a Call" Activity:

      Students will explore how sound travels by conducting a range of experiments with paper cup telephones.

          K-4 HAM Radio Pre-Activity      

          K-4 HAM Radio Complete Educator Guide      

Grade 5-8

     "Speaking Radio-ese" Activity:

      Students will learn how to construct a structure using oral directions.

          5-8 HAM Radio Pre-Activity      

          5-8 HAM Radio Complete Educator Guide      

Grade 9-12

     "Radio Waves" Activity:

      Students will draw an electromagnetic spectrum and calculate frequency and wavelength.

          9-12 HAM Radio Pre-Activity     

          9-12 HAM Radio Complete Educator Guide     

Join the Digital Learning Network as we explore how astronauts on the International Space Station communicate using amateur, or HAM, Radio. Learn how amateur radio works, its purpose on the International Space Station, and how educators and students can participate in radio downlink events with astronauts through ARISS.

The links below are previews of the post-event activities only. For the detailed activity information, click on each link below.

Grade K-4

     "Making Radio Waves" Activity:

      Students will make and test a simple radio-wave generator using ordinary household materials.

          K-4 HAM Radio Post Activity     

Grade 5-8

     "No Remote Control?" Activity:

      Students will demonstrate that radio waves cannot pass through certain materials.

          5-8 HAM Radio Post Activity     

Grade 9-12

     "Waves" Activity:

      Students will identify the components of a radio wave and create waves in different frequencies.

          9-12 HAM Radio Post Activity     

Standards

     National Science Education Standards (NSES)

          Unifying Concepts

          Content Standard A - Science as Inquiry

          Content Standard B - Physical Science

          Content Standard E - Science and Technology

          Content Standard G - History and Nature of Science

     National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

          Algebra

          Geometry

          Problem Solving

          Communication

     International Technology Education Association (ITEA)

          Standard 1 -Characteristics and Scope of Technology.

          Standard 17 - Information and Communcation Technologies