Cosmic Static: Walnut Grove Elementary students radio the International Space Station

     Walnut Grove Elementary School students recently enjoyed an out-of-this-world experience, speaking via ham radio with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astronaut Chris Williams aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

     Walnut Grove Elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) teacher Laurie Rundqwist, along with Walnut Grove Elementary Speech-Language Pathologist Shawnee Palmeri, worked together to make the event happen.

“Our goal is to provide as many experiences as we can for the kids here,” Rundqwist says.

     “This is a major opportunity, and hopefully it sparks [students’] interest in science, communication, science technology, the education portion, along with amateur radio–STEM, how all of this intertwines,” Palmeri adds.

     In preparation for the day of contact, students submitted questions for consideration when speaking with Williams. After 170 student auditions, 13 students were chosen to interview Williams based on their outgoing personalities and the clarity and volume of their voices.

     The student interviewers included kindergarteners Caroline and Savannah, 1st-graders Maya and Gael, 2nd-graders Sinclair and Madison, 3rd-graders Paige and Torben, 4th-graders Alex and Delal, and 5th-graders Daniel, Atiya, and Kaci.

     While waiting to connect with the ISS, students, staff, visiting family members, and district leaders were entertained by the school’s choir, watched informational videos, and played space trivia.

     When the ISS moved into the line-of-sight window for the city of Suwanee, everyone was asked to ‘be quiet’ as Palmeri spoke into the microphone, “November, Alpha, One, Sierra, Sierra (ISS call sign NA1SS) this is Kilo, Romeo, Four, Hotel, Papa, Charlie (call sign KR4HPC) calling for a scheduled contact. Over.”  Williams answered, “Kilo, Romeo, Four, Hotel, Papa, Charlie, this is November, Alpha, One, Sierra, Sierra, and I copy you loud, a little scratchy. Over.”

 

   Rundqwist and Palmeri learned about the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program through research with the school’s FIRST LEGO League Robotics team. The participating students chose “space archeology” as their project topic for solving a real-world problem. The robotics team proposed using Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), a wireless technology that uses radio waves to automatically track and identify objects, so future scientists would be able to locate missing artifacts.

     From there, Rundqwist and Palmeri sent a proposal to ARISS for the school to speak with the ISS and connected with the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society (GARS). GARS Treasurer and registered instructor Ralph Pickwick met with the robotics team and explained how GARS could help students learn ham radio. From there, a relationship developed, and GARS members volunteered to assist students with multiple activities. In addition, Rundqwist and Palmeri obtained amateur radio licenses to contact the ISS.

     “The kids are incredible, I’ve gone to all the robotics team’s competitions,” Pickwick adds. “I feel like I’m a part of the team. I love working with the students and the school.”

     During the interaction with the ISS, student interviewers took turns asking questions punctuated by the word “over.” Williams was asked for life and career advice, to describe what he could see from above the Earth, and if he feels famous.

Before ending the transmission, Rundqwist led students and staff in a joyful cheer for their final “over and out.”

The entire room erupted: “W.G.E.S. Mission Complete! OVER!”