Pupils of the English School in Nicosia had on Wednesday the unique opportunity to talk to an astronaut who is in orbit aboard the International Space Station, 400 kilometers above the Earth.
The event was organized at the premises of the school in the presence of Minister of Communication, Transport and Works, Marios Demetriades.
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who made a 7-hour space walk on Tuesday, together with Scott Tingle of NASA, replied to questions by the pupils regarding the experiment on which he is currently working on the ISS. He talked about the ways the ISS can be protected from space debris, the emergency plans in case of a problem on the ISS, his free time, the food they eat, and their working programme.
The communication took place in the framework of the ARISS program (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station). Other parties that contributed to this effort were the Cyprus Amateur Radio Society and the Kition Planetarium & Observatory.
Speaking after the event, Minister of Communication, who is responsible also for space issues, congratulated the pupils and all who have contributed to the success of the event.
He spoke about Cyprus’ steps in the space sector, recalling that the country has signed an agreement with the European Space Agency and expressing hope that Cyprus will soon become a member of ESA. He also said that 90% of Cyprus’ subscription to ESA is returned and urged schools to take advantage of the programmes that are being funded.
Demetriades pointed out that space is part of everyday life, and said that the space industry is already part of the shipping sector, earth observation etc. He also pointed out that Cyprus has great weather conditions for earth observation.
The International Space Station was first launched to orbit in 1998. It is the largest human-made body in low Earth orbit and the most expensive one since its was worth 120 billion euro.
It can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth.
It is a microgravity research laboratory where astronauts conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, while testing spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon, Mars and asteroids.
The ISS completes 15 orbits per day from a distance of approximately 400 kilometres and a speed of 27,000 kilometers per hour.