ARISS contact on 8 October 2026: a Canadian astronaut and a British school
Good news for listeners: a ham radio contact with the International Space Station was scheduled for Thursday 8 October 2026 at around 11:30 UTC, which is 13:30 in Paris, and it was supposed to be audible from France.
The contact links Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, callsign KJ5BFU, with a school in Wick, in the United Kingdom. The frequency is 145.800 MHz, with a tolerance of plus or minus 3 kHz to allow for Doppler shift, in narrowband FM. It is conducted in English through the British station GB4WHS, which is why it can be heard over here too.
I really like this kind of event because it shows what amateur radio is about in practice: students put their questions to an astronaut directly, by voice, with no screen or internet in between. If you only want to listen, all you need is a receiver that can handle narrowband FM on 145.800 MHz and a clear view of the sky, with something as simple as a vertical antenna, for the time the station is passing overhead.
The announcement relayed by Radioamateurs France points to the French ARISS page for the details. The same site also reminds readers that the JOTA-JOTI weekend, which connects scouts from around the world with radio amateurs, takes place from 16 to 18 October 2026. Two chances, just a few days apart, to introduce the hobby to younger people.
Source: Radioamateurs France
The contact links Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, callsign KJ5BFU, with a school in Wick, in the United Kingdom. The frequency is 145.800 MHz, with a tolerance of plus or minus 3 kHz to allow for Doppler shift, in narrowband FM. It is conducted in English through the British station GB4WHS, which is why it can be heard over here too.
I really like this kind of event because it shows what amateur radio is about in practice: students put their questions to an astronaut directly, by voice, with no screen or internet in between. If you only want to listen, all you need is a receiver that can handle narrowband FM on 145.800 MHz and a clear view of the sky, with something as simple as a vertical antenna, for the time the station is passing overhead.
The announcement relayed by Radioamateurs France points to the French ARISS page for the details. The same site also reminds readers that the JOTA-JOTI weekend, which connects scouts from around the world with radio amateurs, takes place from 16 to 18 October 2026. Two chances, just a few days apart, to introduce the hobby to younger people.
Source: Radioamateurs France
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