NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP >> Radio noise filled the auditorium at Council Rock South High School on Feb. 19 as everyone sat on the edge of their seats.

In front of them, on a large screen, they watched as a blip from the International Space Station appeared somewhere over the state of Georgia.

Nearly two minutes ticked by as operators from the Warminster Amateur Radio Club attempted to make contact as the blip moved toward the Northeast.

Then, suddenly, a voice broke through the noise sending a collective gasp through the room filled with more than 300 students, teachers and administrators gathered there to experience the once-in-a-lifetime moment.

This is November Alpha 1SS how do you read me? Over, came the voice of European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, her voice filling the auditorium via the ham radio set up.

For seven amazing minutes, as the International Space Station traveled from Georgia to Nova Scotia at a speed of 17,500 mph and at an altitude of more than 200 miles above the Earth, Cristoforetti fielded questions from students about life and work aboard the station.

Eleven pre-selected students stood in line on the stage waiting for a chance to ask a question of the astronaut on the long distance ham radio call to space.

We work on a 24 hour clock. We are human beings so we naturally have that kind of rhythm, said the Italian astronaut, answering a question on how the 90 minute orbit affects the way the way they work on the station, especially since they see a sunrise and sunset every 45 minutes.

Plus we work with teams on the ground, Cristoforetti continued. Of course they also go by a 24 hour clock. So we go by our watches and we use GMT time, which is the time that goes through Greenwich.

Answering another question, Cristoforetti said, I am not aware of any injuries happening on the space station luckily. We have a lot of safety teams on the ground that monitor all the equipment we have here to make sure its safe. However, even with little cuts and scratches they take a little longer to heal, she said. Continued...

See the original post here:

OUT OF THIS WORLD: Council Rock South students connect with International Space Station on an amazing call to space