On April 7, 2025, a group of students from School No. 57 in Kaliningrad gathered outside the Rostec Arena with one goal: to establish live radio contact with the International Space Station. It was more than just an ambitious school project — it was a launchpad for dreams aimed far beyond Earth.
This bold initiative is part of an educational program that brings together teachers, engineers, amateur radio operators, and, most importantly, curious and driven teenagers. The goal? To teach students how to build and operate satellite communication systems — and to give them a real chance to reach out to space.
Published May 15, 2025
Dmitry Tolstenev, the journalist from Pravda.ru, sat down with project leaders Sergey Perevoznikov and Oleg Vasenin, as well as the school’s public relations officer, Natalya Shualova, to learn more about the effort behind this extraordinary endeavor.
The project began with a simple but powerful idea: making space communication accessible to students. Sergey Perevoznikov, one of the mentors and a professional radio engineer, explains that the hands-on experience is designed to introduce kids to radio systems, satellite operations, and the broader world of space science.
“It’s not just a technical task,” he says. “It’s a learning journey. And for amateur radio operators like us, it’s a challenge and a demonstration of what collaboration across science and engineering can achieve.”
This wasn’t the team’s first encounter with the ISS. Since 2022, Oleg Vasenin’s group has successfully connected with astronauts aboard the station several times. One memorable session took place in the village of Krasnotorovka, where a clear and stable link was established, proving that what once seemed impossible was, in fact, achievable.
These experiences are more than just highlights in a resume. They’re part of a broader movement to make space science tangible for young people in Russia. And for engineers like Vasenin and Perevoznikov, radio communication and satellite technology aren’t hobbies — they’re careers built on physics, perseverance, and passion.
What makes this project truly unique is its multidisciplinary nature. As Natalya Shualova emphasizes, it’s not just about technology — it’s about teamwork.
“We bring educators, engineers, and radio experts together,” she says. “The students work with real professionals. They learn to collaborate, to think critically, and to solve complex problems together. That’s the kind of education that leaves a mark.”
In Russia, few programs offer teenagers a real opportunity to go beyond observing space, to actively participate in building equipment and attempting live communication with the International Space Station. The Kaliningrad project shows how an educational environment can become a true launchpad for early engagement in science and high technology.
And the vision doesn’t stop with the ISS. The students and mentors prepare for their next milestone: launching their satellite into orbit. With support from Russia’s Innovation Assistance Fund under the Space-π program, the team hopes to secure funding and build a satellite command center directly on school grounds.
