Students Talk to Space Station Astronaut

Father, we thank You for the gift that You have planted in every human heart—the gift of discovery, the gift of curiosity...to know Your creation, to know not only the Earth that You gave us, but the universe in which we live. We ask You to help us to appreciate the gift of that spirit of discovery. We ask You to bless all those involved in the exploration of space, so that they might be safe, and that they might advance our knowledge of the universe, to continue to serve humanity and to help each of us to live in harmony with one another.

With this prayer, Father Thompson opened the much-anticipated Nov. 8 program, where Bishop O'Connell students were able to connect live from the school auditorium with NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor aboard the International Space Station via Amateur Radio.

MORE INFORMATION

Read all about this out-of-this-world experience and view a highlight video from The Arlington Catholic Herald.

View a photo slideshow on our webpage.

Watch and listen to the ten minute chat below or on our YouTube channel.

Thank you to the faculty and administration at Bishop O'Connell who supported this project, and to Mrs. Melissa Pore whose dedication to student engagement in STEM made this happen.  Special thanks to our partners at ARISS, ARRL and NASA SCaN who helped us make the program possible, and who continue to help nurture our students' interests.