Worcester Students To Speak With Astronaut Aboard International Space Station

WORCESTER, MA — Ten students will soon have an opportunity to send their questions beyond Earth.

The EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature will host a live amateur radio contact with astronaut Luke Delaney aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The event at 222 Harrington Way is being organized with the Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association and North High School to build student interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

Hundreds of students have been invited to attend the program, with only 10 selected to speak directly with Delaney. Their questions will cover life in orbit, the future of the space station and topics such as how astronauts prepare grilled cheese.

The public can watch the conversation through a livestream scheduled to begin at 10:25 a.m.

“What a thrill to be able to place a call to outer space using radio waves,” EcoTarium President and CEO Noreen Johnson Smith said. “Calling the astronauts over HAM radio is an exciting lesson on the power of electromagnetic waves.”

The contact is being arranged through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, a partnership that connects astronauts with students and communities using amateur radio.

Delaney is a naval aviator, test pilot and test pilot instructor who launched on his first trip to the space station Oct. 1 as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission, according to the EcoTarium.

The museum will also hold a public celebration, Communicating Across the Cosmos, on Saturday. The event will include programs about amateur radio and the electromagnetic spectrum, along with a replay of the space station conversation in the Alden Planetarium.

See Also:

• New Owners Taking Over Peppercorn’s In Worcester
• Worcester State Launches $30M Campaign With $1M Gift For Future Teachers