Primary school students from a network of DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools across Dublin will make direct radio contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity will take place on Wednesday, June 4th, from 12:45 to 13:45 IST (Irish Standard Time) at the Central Quad, Technological University of Dublin, Grangegorman.
Inspiring the Next Generation: Interstellar DEIS Students
This event is supported by TU Dublin, licensed Irish radio Amateurs and ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) and will feature introductory presentations on ISS and amateur radio before the contact. Then, the selected twelve speakers from nine primary DEIS schools will get to ask their own interesting and imaginative questions of Japanese Astronaut Takuya Onishi, while he orbits at 28,000 km/h and an altitude of 400km above us on Earth. This momentous opportunity will be followed by closing remarks from a leading Irish Space industry expert and politician on the importance of such events to the future of Irelands growing space industry, as well as IRTS (Irish radio transmitters Society) President on the importance of amateur radio to spearhead innovation in the area of communications and to promote STEM.
This event highlights the power of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and the wonderful educational hobbies that may inspire it, regardless of background or postcode.
The nine schools involved have prepared through months of interdisciplinary learning, exploring STEM through space science and radio technology as part of the STEM Try Five + Project. This project, funded in combination by TU Dublin, Research Ireland, Department of Education and Skills, ESERO, and Workday reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and excellence in education, especially through the DEIS workshop program. The contact is made possible through international cooperation and technical support provided by ARISS and local amateur radio volunteers from the Irish Radio Transmitters Society.
Members of the media are warmly invited to attend the event, which will feature a live downlink from the ISS as well as presentations on ISS, ARISS and amateur radio communications. The Event will also be livestreamed globally on the ARRIS Live and TU Dublin Youtube channels.
Date: 4th June 2025
Time: 12.30-13.45 IST
IMPORTANT NOTE: As this is a live event, there will be absolutely no entry after 12.30 IST until after the live contact is complete. Media representatives wishing to set-up cameras or connect to the live audio feed are encouraged to arrive before 12pm to ensure enough time is available for set-up and testing.
Location: Room CQ-501, Central Quad Building, Technological University of Dublin, Grangegorman
Media Contact EU633 ARISS Contact: John Holland – 086-8331908
Live Streams on the day:
ARISS: https://www.youtube.com/@ARISSlive/streams
TUD: https://www.youtube.com/@tudublin
About ARISS https://www.ariss.org/
ARISS lets students worldwide experience the excitement of talking directly with crew members of the International Space Station, inspiring them to pursue interests in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio.
The ARISS program was created and is managed by an international consortium of amateur radio organizations and space agencies including National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the USA, Roscosmos in Russia, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Canada, Japan Aeronautics Exploration Space Agency (JAXA) in Japan and European Space Agency (ESA) in Europe.
About Try Five
Try Five + is a co-created, research-informed suite of practical workshops based on the theme of Space Science and Exploration developed in line with the Irish Primary School Curriculum and intended to foster, increase and sustain levels of science aspiration in primary school pupils in DEIS schools.
About TU Dublin:
https://www.tudublin.ie/
Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) is committed to reducing barriers between access to education and local communities. We are a leader in STEM disciplines and also support the largest cohort of students of business, media, culinary arts, and the creative and performing arts. TU Dublin is the largest provider of part-time education and makes an important contribution to the economic life of Ireland, enabling capacity building for the future.
Technological University Dublin has campuses in Dublin City Centre (Grangegorman, Angier Street and Bolton Street) as well as Blanchardstown and Tallaght, and, through our major infrastructural development plan, we are currently investing over €500 million in new, state-of-the-art, technology-enabled facilities to enhance our students’ experience.
About IRTS & Amateur Radio
The Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS), established in 1932, is dedicated to promoting the study and enjoyment of amateur radio in Ireland. Amateur radio enthusiasts, experiment with and operate both homemade and commercial radio communication equipment, both from home and out in the field. Many develop exceptional technical skills and expertise through their practice. To legally operate amateur radio equipment, individuals must obtain a license and thought their skills and expertise, licensed amateurs often play a vital role in emergencies, frequently being among the first to establish crucial communication links during natural disasters.
About ESERO
ESERO Ireland, or the European Space Education Resource Office, is an education project of the European Space Agency (ESA). It focuses on promoting space as a theme to engage young people in STEM subjects. ESERO Ireland’s main goals are to increase awareness of the importance of space research and applications, and to make space-themed resources accessible to teachers.
About Workday
Workday is a cloud-based software company that provides enterprise applications for finance, human resources, and student information systems. It was founded in 2005 by Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri, former PeopleSoft executives. Workday helps organizations manage their finances, employees, and operations, often with a focus on cloud-based solutions.
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