Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be  interacting with Indian students via ham radio from the International Space Station (ISS), as part of the Axiom-4 mission. 

What Is HAM Radio ? 

• Amateur radio, popularly known as ham radio, is a licensed, non-commercial radio service that uses  various radio waves for communication.

• It is used for educational purposes, emergency communications, and general knowledge sharing.
• Communication can be hyper-local, global, or even space-based using a transceiver, antenna, and dedicated frequencies.
• In India, individuals above the age of 12 can operate ham radio with a license issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Use of Ham Radio in Space

• First used on a space shuttle in 1983 to communicate between space and Earth.
• The ISS is equipped with ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), regularly used for astronaut-student interactions to inspire youth.
• Space agencies and amateur radio organizations from the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe provide technical and equipment support for such communications.
• For safety, radio outages are scheduled during critical ISS activities like docking, to prevent interference.

How Will the Axiom-4 Crew Use Ham Radio?

• Astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary will use ham radio to communicate with their respective countries twice during their 14-day ISS mission.
• Communication attempts will be made as the ISS passes over a country’s horizon, lasting about 5 to 8 minutes.

Why is Ham Radio an Important Alternate Mode of Communication?

• Ham radio is effective during emergencies, functioning even when traditional lines fail.
• Historical examples of use in India include:
  • Bhuj earthquake (2001)
  • Indian Ocean tsunami (2004)
  • Uttarakhand floods (2013)

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