A program that promotes radio contacts between classroom students and astronauts is looking for next year's participants.
ARISS - Amateur Radio on the International Space Station - is a joint venture between agencies including NASA and Connecticut's American Radio Relay League. It allows students and members of the public to speak directly with ISS crew members in flight.
In the 15 years since ARISS was formed, no schools in Connecticut or a handful of other states have taken part, according to the ARISS website.
Rosalie White, the ARRL liaison to ARISS, says there were several Connecticut contacts under an earlier program called SAREX, which promoted ham communications with the now-retired space shuttle program.
The latest round of applications for ARISS is open until January 30, and hopeful participants must fill out a written proposal, submit it to NASA, and await a reply.
Once approval is received, ham radio mentors are assigned to help the selected schools prepare for the contacts, which will occur between mid-July and January of 2013.
Space station-to-classroom contacts last about 10 minutes and can either involve direct ham radio transmissions or a "telebridge" link, which is a phone patch from an off-site location.
Telebridge links are needed when no clear radio path is available between the school and the ISS at the time of the event.
In weighing the applications, NASA considers proposed classroom lessons about space travel, life aboard the space station, and how astronauts use ham radio.
According to the ARRL's ARISS fact page, goals include inspiring careers in science, math and engineering, and giving the public a better understanding of space technology.
Currrently, the ISS has a crew of six, made up of Americans, Russians and members of the European Space Agency.
Over 600 successful public and classroom contacts have been from the International Space Station since the first one took place in December, 2000.
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