Which amateurs may contact the International Space Station (ISS) on VHF bands?

The ISS amateur radio station operates primarily on 2-meter VHF and 70-centimeter UHF frequencies. Since these frequencies fall squarely within the standard privileges of a Technician class license, any operator holding a Technician license (or higher) is legally permitted to make contact. There is a common misconception that speaking to astronauts requires special clearance or an advanced license. However, no application or approval from NASA is required to communicate with the ISS on amateur bands, which immediately eliminates those distractors.