European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and amateur radio operator Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN, is now aboard the International Space Station following her launch on the SpaceX Crew-12 mission on 13th February 2026 and docking on 14th February 2026. With about one month remaining before submissions close for the Astro Pi Mission Zero coding challenge on 23rd March 2026, her mission highlights ongoing opportunities for young people to run their own code aboard the space station.

Astro Pi Mission Zero, organised by ESA in partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO), gives young people the chance to have their code run in space. Participants write a short Python program that reads data from the Astro Pi colour and luminosity sensor aboard the ISS and uses it to set the background colour of a personalised image displayed for astronauts as they go about their daily tasks inside the Columbus laboratory module.

Adenot serves as an ambassador for the Astro Pi initiative, reinforcing the connection between astronaut missions, STEM education, and global outreach. Licensed in amateur radio, she is among the ISS crew members able to support educational engagement activities, including ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), which enables scheduled radio contacts between astronauts and students around the world.

Mission Zero is designed to be accessible to beginners and can typically be completed in a single one-hour session using only a web browser. Young people aged 19 and under may participate individually or in teams of up to four, working under the supervision of a registered mentor such as a teacher, educator, parent, or youth leader, who provides the classroom submission code required to enter programs.

All eligible entries that follow the official guidelines are scheduled to run on the ISS for up to 30 seconds. Each successful team receives a certificate signed by an ESA astronaut showing the exact time their program executed and the station’s orbital position at that moment, providing a lasting record of their software running in space.

Programs such as Astro Pi Mission Zero complement ARISS school contacts by offering multiple ways for students to interact with the International Space Station — whether by speaking directly with astronauts over amateur radio or by running their own code aboard station hardware. Amateur radio clubs and educators are encouraged to share this opportunity while time remains for participation.

More Information - https://astro-pi.org/mission-zero