Mysore/Mysuru: In a landmark moment, Mysuru’s Excel Public School students will participate in a live interaction with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla (VU2TNI), currently stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Space AX-4 mission, at an event scheduled tomorrow (July 4) at 3.47 pm. The interaction will take place through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) initiative in coordination with U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru.

Students will establish direct communication with the ISS using amateur radio frequencies, an extraordinary instance of STEM education meeting real-world application. Excel Public School is the only school in the city to participate in this live Q&A session.

The licensed student HAM operators from Excel Public School — P.M. Bhuvan  (VU2NQH), A. Namasyu (VU3IHV),  M.S. Tanish Tejaswi (VU2ITM), C.N. Pranav (VU3IIC), R. Vishruth (VU3IIB) and G. Sanat Raj (VU3IHU) — will represent the school, guided by their mentor and Amateur Radio Club Custodian, M.B. Mahesh (VU2YYA).

The contact will be made using amateur radio transceivers configured to uplink and downlink signals through the ARISS ground station infrastructure, allowing students to engage in Q&A from Earth to Space via RF transmissions. The interaction will occur as part of a global network of scheduled ARISS school contacts that introduce young learners to space science, communications technology and orbital research.

Students said, “As licensed student HAM operators, we’ve spent months learning the science behind radio communication, tracking satellites and assembling and testing antennas. Being able to apply all of that by connecting with the ISS is an experience we never imagined. We’re proud to represent our school and our country, and we’re especially excited to ask questions we’ve always been curious about, from life in space to the role of communication technology in such missions.”

“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,” said Mahesh.

Excel Public School’s Amateur Radio Club, operating under the call sign VU2TQA, was licensed on Nov. 6, 2023, by the Ministry of Communications and has rapidly established itself as a beacon of innovation and learning in communication science.

It is one of the very few active HAM radio school clubs in India with licensed HAM operators. The club fosters high-impact technical training in HF, VHF, and UHF radio bands, antenna building, Morse code and satellite telemetry.

The club’s achievements include receiving Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) transmissions from the ISS, live satellite tracking, and students excelling in the Amateur Station Operator’s Certificate (ASOC) licensing examinations.

According to K.G. Mathew, Principal, Excel Public School, “It’s a matter of great pride for our students to be part of this historic moment for India and to have the opportunity to speak to Shubhanshu Shukla aboard the ISS. Experiences like these are powerful reinforcements of our commitment to STEM education and to nurturing scientific curiosity through hands-on learning.”