Zeke Wheeler completes a 5 year quest to communicate with an astronaut on the International Space Station.
From News KGW8:
5 years ago, Zeke asked his dad what it would take to talk to an astronaut.
They went online and saw that there is a ham radio on the International Space Station. Even with a working ham radio, antennas needed to connect to a laboratory orbiting the earth at 17,000 miles an hour, they still needed a little help from NASA to make it all possible.
Through their research, they found Ariss, NASA's educational outreach program that schedules calls between astronauts and students. They applied and worked with Wheeler's online charter school, TEACH-NW, to make it all possible. Ariss approved and accepted their application, and NASA set them up with a 10-minute window to talk with astronaut Sunita Williams.
"NA1SS, NA1SS?" Zeke spoke the call sign for the ISS into his ham radio. "This is Kilo, Juliet, 7, November, Lima, Lima."
After a couple attempts of repeating his call sign, Williams's voice crackled over the radio in response. "Kilo, Juliet, 7, November, Lima, Lima."
"Sunita, this is Kilo, Juliet, 7, November, Lima, Lima. It is a great honor to connect with you today. I read you fine," Zeke said.
Watch the full story from News KGW8 here!