Adelaide students link up with International Space Station after false alarm cancelled earlier call




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Mawson Lakes students made contact with the International Space Station. (Supplied: NASA)

School students from Adelaide’s northern suburbs have managed to speak to astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) two weeks after their hearts sank when their call went unanswered.

The group of students that gathered at Mawson Lakes School last night , the American wife of Adelaide-born astronaut Andy Thomas.

NASA said astronauts were unable to answer the previous call because “a series of false alarms sounded on board”.

While it can usually take more than a year to organise a school call to the ISS, the return call only took a fortnight.

Mawson Lakes School student Aazeen Haider said it was “really cool” to hear from Dr Walker after the earlier disappointment. 

She said one day she would like to be an astronaut, or a paediatrician.

“It would be really interesting, especially to imagine if you’re an astronaut and you get to speak to primary school students on Earth and bring them joy,” she said.

Aazeen asked Dr Walker how astronauts entertained themselves in space.

Dr Walker said the room inside the ISS was not actually that small.

“We have seven people here so, it’s like having a large family… We listen to music, we can watch TV shows so it’s just like hanging out with your family,” she said.

Other students asked about the ISS’s protection from radiation, how being in space affects your body, how astronauts do exercise and how they washed their hair.

One student asked whether Dr Walker had ever seen any aliens.

“I have not ever seen an extraterrestrial creature. That would be very cool if I did,” Dr Walker said.

She said no research had been done into COVID–19 in space since it took time to come up with and organise experiments to bring up to the ISS.

Principal David Coles said the students were excited when Dr Walker answered the call.

“Shannon Walker was able to answer the call, which was terrific — a lot of mixed emotions of relief and elation once she answered,” he said.

The University of South Australia helped organise the call between the students and the ISS.

Source: Thanks msn.com