Communications on the Space Station

In 2000, the space shuttle Atlantis, or mission STS-106, carried with it hardware to revolutionize communication with the International Space Station. This project was called Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, and allows students around the world to talk directly with the astronauts aboard the station in hopes of encouraging the students to study science and mathematics.

Clearly, the ARISS has been helpful because President Obama and a dozen middle school students from around the country recently called the crew aboard the space station on February 17. The students asked questions about what it is like to be in space.

See NASA's feature article on the call to the space station here, which includes the transcript of the conversation here.