Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced that the proposals of 17 schools and organizations submitted during the recent application window will move forward into the next stage of planning to host Amateur Radio contacts with ISS crew members. Once scheduled, the contacts will take place between July and December 2016.

“This is a significant step in ARISS’ continuing effort to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities and raise their awareness of space exploration, space communications and related areas of study and career possibilities,” the ARISS announcement said.

The 17 schools/organizations now must complete acceptable equipment plans that demonstrate the ability to execute a contact. Once the ARISS technical team approves equipment plans, the final selected schools/organizations will be matched up with contact opportunities offered by NASA.

The schools and organizations are Boca Raton Christian School, Boca Raton, Florida; The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana; Frontiers of Flight Museum's "Moon Day 2016,” Dallas, Texas; Howell L. Watkins Middle School, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; iSPACE, Cincinnati, Ohio; John Glenn Middle School, Maplewood, Minnesota; Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, New York; Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, Kansas; Museum of Innovation and Science, Schenectady, New York; Northland Preparatory Academy, Flagstaff, Arizona; Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, Illinois; University of Nebraska's Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha, Nebraska; South Street School, Danbury, Connecticut; Space Jam 10, Rantoul, Illinois; United Space School, Seabrook, Texas; US Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama, and World Genesis Foundation, Goodyear, Arizona.

ARISS is a cooperative venture of AMSAT, ARRL, and NASA in the US, and other international space agencies and Amateur Radio organizations around the world. Its primary purpose is to organize Amateur Radio contacts between ISS crew members and classrooms or informal education venues.