Students from Excel Public School in Mysuru will soon experience a rare opportunity to speak directly with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Space AX-4 mission.
The live interaction is scheduled for 3:47 pm on Friday through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) initiative, coordinated with Bengaluru’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC). Using amateur radio frequencies, this event showcases the power of STEM education in action.
Six licensed student HAM operators—Bhuvan PM, Namasyu A, Tanish Tejaswi MS, Pranav CN, Vishruth R, and Sanat Raj G—will represent their school under the guidance of mentor and Amateur Radio club custodian Mahesh MB.
In a joint statement, the students shared their excitement: “We’ve spent months understanding radio communication, satellite tracking, and building antennas. Being able to use these skills to speak with the ISS is beyond anything we imagined at this stage.”
Mahesh praised the students’ dedication, noting they cleared ASOC exams, built antennas, and decoded ISS signals to prepare for this moment.
The ISS contact is part of a global series of ARISS sessions designed to inspire young learners to explore space science, orbital research, and communications technology.
The students plan to ask questions about daily life aboard the ISS and the role of radio in space missions—an experience they say will stay with them forever.