The countdown to an out-of-this-world moment is days away as Emporia State University becomes the host of an historic contact between students and astronauts on the International Space Station. ESU is one of only four schools in the nation selected for this honor.
The contact is set for Wednesday, April 8, at approximately 9:10 a.m. CDT.
Students will speak with European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot. Born in France in 1982, Adenot is an engineer, helicopter test pilot and colonel in the French Air and Space Force.
The initiative is in partnership with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, an international education program that connects students with astronauts aboard the ISS using amateur radio.
For the event, the connection will be provided by the Emporia Amateur Radio Society, which has partnered with ESU for a series of space-themed educational activities over the past few months. These efforts were led by faculty, staff and students from ESU’s School of Science and Mathematics and STEM Outreach.
The middle and high school students asking questions of the astronaut will be from local area schools including USD 251, 252 and 253. Students submitted questions and, through a rigorous NASA/ARISS review process, were chosen for a moment they will remember for years to come.
The event will be livestreamed, and the public is invited to watch online or at a partner venue including:
- William Allen White Library, located on the ESU campus, featuring a display of space and communication books for all ages.
- Radius Brewing Company, 17 W. Fourth Ave., featuring a virtual reality space station and spacewalk experience.
- Lyon County History Center, 711 Commercial St., featuring child-friendly information and activities in the children’s area on the contact day and throughout April.
All venues open for guests at 8:30 a.m., with the livestream concluding at approximately 9:30 a.m.
The livestream will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. with informational slides and a preshow prior to the contact. Visit emporia.edu/ariss for livestream information.
For questions, email ESU’s STEM Outreach team at stem@emporia.edu.