The ARISS team helps connect astronauts on orbit to students on the ground via amateur radio. If the ISS is above your local horizon during these contacts you can listen in to the ISS side of the conversation with an amateur radio or "police scanner" tuned to the 145.800 MHz downlink frequency. These signals are strong enough that a handheld radio with small whip antenna is all that is required if the ISS is more than 5 degrees, or so, above your horizon.
You can go to Upcoming Educational Contacts
to see what's coming up.
This Wednesday, April 3, students at Embry-Riddle in Florida will start a contact at 1522 UTC which should be audible in the Washington DC area from about 11:23AM local time to about 11:32AM local time. Maximum elevation in the DC area is about 15 degrees above the horizon at about 11:28AM local time. So don't expect stunning results with a handheld radio but you should be able to hear a couple of the astronaut replies during the middle of the contact. A small handheld directional antenna will let you hear the crew from horizon to horizon.
You can find a local amateur radio club at ARRL.org if you want to try and get a local volunteer to bring a handheld radio and directional antenna tohost a listening event.
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William Marchant
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