Mysuru school students to interact with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla today
The event, scheduled for 3.47pm on Friday, will take place through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) initiative, in coordination with the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru. This prestigious opportunity allows students to establish direct communication with the ISS using amateur radio frequencies, representing a significant application of STEM education.
Licensed student HAM operators from Excel Public School, including Bhuvan PM, Namasyu A, Tanish Tejaswi MS, Pranav CN, Vishruth R, and Sanat Raj G, will represent the school during the ISS interaction.
They will be guided by their mentor and Amateur Radio club custodian, Mahesh MB. This interaction is part of a global network of scheduled ARISS school contacts that aim to introduce young learners to space science, communications technology, and orbital research.
In a joint statement, the students said, "As licensed student HAM operators, we have spent months learning the science behind radio communication, tracking satellites, and assembling and testing antennas.
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Being able to apply all of that by connecting with the ISS is an experience we never imagined we'd have at this stage in our learning journey. We are especially excited to ask questions we have always been curious about from life in space to the role of communication technology in such missions.
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"This contact is the result of sustained effort by the students, from clearing their ASOC exams to building antennas and decoding signals from the ISS. It's a practical demonstration of what they've learned, and a moment they will carry with them for life," Mahesh said.
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