IPN Makes Historic Radio Contact with the International Space Station (ISS)

• The connection was made with astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA’s Crew-11 mission, as children and young students asked her questions live from the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium.

• The IPN’s Director General explained that the transmission aimed to inspire new generations to pursue studies related to the aerospace industry.

For the first time in Mexico’s history, the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) established a direct radio connection with the International Space Station (ISS) from the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium.

During the live transmission, a group of children and young students had the opportunity to speak directly with astronaut Zena Cardman, commander of NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-11 mission.

The contact was made possible through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program—an educational initiative that enables students around the world to communicate in real time with astronauts in orbit, fostering their interest in science and technology. For this event, the signal was transmitted using an antenna built in Mexico by IPN engineers.

In previous exercises, the connection had been established via “telebridge” using infrastructure located abroad. This time, however, the contact was carried out entirely from Mexico, marking a historic milestone for the IPN and for the country’s scientific community.

This achievement aligns with the communications and education policies promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to encourage young people to pursue careers in science and technology, in line with the initiatives led by Secretary of Public Education, Mario Delgado Carrillo.

IPN Director General Arturo Reyes Sandoval also joined the dialogue with the astronaut. “This is an incredible moment. You have just spoken directly with the International Space Station—and probably, for the first time in your life, with an astronaut,” he said.

“Remember this moment, be proud of it, and know that one day you could be up there too, in space. Your voices traveled beyond the clouds and reached the ISS thanks to an antenna built right here in Mexico by IPN engineers.”.

Dr. Reyes Sandoval expressed his pride in the students’ enthusiasm and urged them to keep their passion alive. “Don’t let go of the Politécnico, because we won’t let go of you,” he said, emphasizing that the new generations can prepare for futures in these fields.

During this historic event, he also paid tribute to astronomer Julieta Fierro, who passed away on September 19, noting that she “not only amazed us with the wonders of the universe, but also inspired children and families to turn their curiosity into passion—reaching, today, the highest point possible for their age: speaking with an astronaut. You are the next generation.”

The connection was made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Dirección de Difusión de Ciencia y Tecnología (DDiCyT), the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium, the Centro de Desarrollo Aeroespacial (CDA), and the Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas (UPIITA).

This event was officially recorded in the ISS mission logbook.

At the end of the transmission, participants at the Planetarium proudly joined in the traditional IPN cheer, “¡Huélum!”, and sang “Cielito Lindo”, to which astronaut Zena Cardman responded with gratitude.

For more information, visit www.ipn.mx