Elementary School Makes Radio Contact Astronaut Aboard the International Space Station (Florida)

On December 17, 2024, at 1:49 p.m. EST, students at Sally Ride Elementary School in Orlando, Florida, made live radio contact with NASA astronaut Commander Sunita Williams aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The ISS is an orbiting science laboratory about 250 miles above Earth. It travels at 17,500 miles per hour which is about five miles per second.

The ISS is about the size of a six-bedroom house. It has sleeping rooms, science labs, bathrooms, and places to exercise. Astronauts from different space agencies conduct research and experiments on the station. Using amateur radio technology, students at Sally Ride Elementary took turns asking Commander Williams questions.

“When Sunita Williams started talking, my brain was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m talking to an astronaut!'” said Darian Rodriguez, 10, a fourth-grade student at Sally Ride Elementary. “It was amazing. Everyone at the event was really friendly, especially Sunita Williams. It was really fun to hear her talk and learn about life in space.”

Read more – Scholastic Kids Press: https://bit.ly/4bOdh8v