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NEWPORT — Pell Elementary School became the first public school in Rhode Island to have a conversation with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station — with an important assist from a ham-radio operator in Belgium.
Timing was critical to make the connection. The school relied on the operator, Jan Poppeliers, to call the station as its orbit passed over Europe around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday. With the station about 250 miles above the Earth and cruising at about 18,000 mph, there was a stretch of about 10 minutes when it would be within range of Poppeliers’ location in Aartselaar.
The mood in the gym, where third- and fourth-graders were on a speakerphone with Poppeliers, was tense as his first few attempts to connect with the station were met with static.
Finally, there was a welcome response from the station.
“I hear you loud and clear,” declared American astronaut Richard “Ricky” Arnold.
Once contact was made, some of the roughly 20 students, who were previously selected to ask a question, took turns at a microphone. Among the questions were: How good is the coffee on the station? What time zone do the astronauts adhere to? Do they wash the outside of the station? Why are spacesuits always white?
The answers: Arnold said he doesn’t drink much coffee. They sync their watches to London time. No, they do not wash the satellite because space is relatively clean, after all. And white reflects sunlight.
He kept his answers concise to get through as many questions as possible before the connection was disrupted, which happened before the full 10 minutes passed.
“Remember folks, this is an experiment,” said Mike Cullen, who organized the chat. Arnold is very busy, Cullen explained, as he prepares to return to Earth with two other astronauts on Thursday.
The contact was made possible by the global Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program that was launched in 2000 and promotes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education. All Saints Academy in Middletown engaged in a similar conversation with an astronaut on the station in 2016, and Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick did so the following year.
A large projection screen hanging from the gym rafters displayed the questions. A much smaller screen displayed the coordinates of the International Space Station, a clock counting down until the giant satellite would be out of reach, and a map showing its path. There was no video feed from the station.
Before connecting with the astronaut, Gov. Gina Raimondo and Rep. Marvin Abney of Newport urged students to take science and math courses, even if they are challenging, because of the career opportunities that will unfold for them.
Pursuing a STEAM education will prepare students for numerous careers, such as being a doctor, nurse, engineer, architect, teacher or perhaps, an astronaut, she said.
“Some of you will have jobs in your life — that don’t exist now — because of what they’re doing in outer space,” Abney said.
More experiences like the space chat are crucial to give students STEAM exposure, Raimondo said. Asked about the investment necessary to make hands-on learning opportunities possible, she said, “I think it’s worth it. These kids will remember this for the rest of their lives and some of them will go into science fields because of this.”
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