EXCLUSIVE
SWAN VALLEY, WA. — “Contact is go.” Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and scouts in the Swan Valley, north of Perth, Western Australia.
“Scouts from Scouts Australia in Mount Hawthorn will talk live with Jack Hathaway on the ISS via ham radio,” an ARISS spokesperson said.
ARISS conducts 60-100 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboard the ISS.
Just one year after Lord Baden Powell held the first Scout Camp in 1907, Scout Groups formed across Western Australia. This year, more than one hundred and eighteen years later, Scouts from across Western Australia and other Australian states are coming together for OneCamp 2026.
An eight-day camp and celebration for Scouts of all ages from 5 to 25 in the Swan Valley, just north of Perth, Western Australia.
The theme for OneCamp 2026 is “Discover”, with young people learning new skills, testing their limits and exploring new places. As part of the Messenger Zone activities led by the Radio and Technology Team: Joey Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, Venturer Scouts and Rover Scouts are excited to learn more about the work of the ISS, exploring new technologies and scientific endeavors through their messages and questions to the ISS crew.
This will be a telebridge contact via Amateur Radio, allowing students to ask their questions of astronaut Jack Hathaway, amateur radio call sign KJ5NIV. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz (FM) and may be heard by listeners who are within the ISS footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station.
The ARISS amateur radio ground station (telebridge station) for this contact is in Hollis, New Hampshire, U.S. The amateur radio volunteer team at the ground station will use the callsign AB1OC to establish and maintain the ISS connection.
