ASU Prep students to talk live with astronaut on International Space Station

Starting at 9 a.m., 10 students representing every grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade will take turns posing questions to astronaut Christopher Williams. This communication is made possible through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, a joint venture involving NASA and several amateur radio organizations.

To facilitate the two-way radio link, volunteers from the Superstition Amateur Radio Club have spent weeks coordinating the technical setup, ensuring that students in Mesa can speak directly to a working astronaut orbiting 250 miles above Earth.

For the students selected to speak, the opportunity is a mix of high-level scientific inquiry and personal milestones.

• Cailena (Grade 6): Is looking toward the stars, asking which planet humans might inhabit next and what obstacles we must overcome. “It will be something to remember for the rest of my life and even tell my kids about someday,” she said.
• Noah (Grade 3): Wants to know what skills are needed on the ISS before we can live on Mars. He noted this is a “big opportunity” he’s never had before.
• Ananda (Grade 6): Is asking how the potential 2030 decommissioning of the ISS affects current research. She is eager to learn more about the timeline of space science.

• Noelle (Kindergarten): Is curious about how the floating astronauts stay healthy. She says she can’t wait to talk to the place “where the astronauts are floating.”
• Jude (Grade 2): Wants to know how one sleeps without a bed. “No one in my family, not even my parents, have spoken with an astronaut before,” Jude said. “I’m excited because I get to — and I’m not even 10!”
• Zia (Grade 1): Is focusing on the learning curve of an astronaut, asking, “What was the hardest thing for you to learn at first?”
• Lucas (Grade 5): Is curious about the social side of space, asking which classroom the astronaut would invite to the ISS if given the chance.

• Molly (Grade 5): Sees the event as a reflection of her growth. “It’s an honor to be chosen for this because it shows leadership,” she said. She is asking how an unexpected mission extension would affect an astronaut.
• Lincoln (Grade 4): Wants to know the first thing an astronaut looks for out the window. “You wouldn’t expect a 10-year-old to talk to someone in space,” he remarked.
• Logan (Grade 6): Hopes to learn how seeing Earth from above changes an astronaut’s view on environmental conservation. He considers it a “great honor” to represent his space-loving family.
• Eliza (Grade 2) and Connor (Grade 5): While they are keeping their final questions as a surprise for the big day, both expressed that speaking to an astronaut is a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance that their families have never experienced.

The “Our Year in Orbit” campaign reflects the ASU Prep mission to design new models for educational success. Throughout the year, students have studied the mechanics of space travel, daily life aboard the ISS and how astronauts collect data to help us understand our home planet.

The assembly will also feature guest speakers from ASU, Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America, as well as Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, who serves as ASU Prep’s executive director of community relations.

Members of the community and families are invited to join the journey virtually.

• When: Thursday, April 23. The assembly begins at 9:05 a.m.; ISS contact is scheduled for 9:52 a.m.
• Where: ASU Prep Polytechnic STEM Academy in Mesa.
• Watch live: Streaming coverage begins at 8:40 a.m at this link.

As a school chartered by Arizona State University, ASU Prep Polytechnic STEM Academy continues to push the boundaries of traditional K–12 education, proving that for these young Sun Devils, the sky is not the limit — it is just the beginning.