St Joseph’s Primary School students in Bombala are excitedly preparing for the opportunity to speak with astronauts on the International Space Station next week.

The school principal, Susan Tighe, has arranged this through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) by filling out an application to host a scheduled contact.

Astronaut Jack Hathaway (KJ5NIV) will speak to St Joseph students during the school contact.

“Our whole school studied space in 2025 and sent a request to ARISS for our ISS link up,” Mrs Tighe said.

“We have been fortunate to get this link up early this year. All classes are remembering their 2025 learning and are finding out about our astronaut, Jack Hathaway.

“This is a whole school experience from Kindergarten to Year 6.”

The ISS orbits the earth every 90 minutes - so it is fast. From the time the ISS is in range on the west coast of Australia until it leaves Australia’s east coast is about 10 minutes. The link up will start at 7.20pm so the school is making it a family event for the evening.

ARISS lets students worldwide experience the excitement of talking directly with on-orbit crew members of the International Space Station, inspiring them to pursue interests in careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio.

Students learn about life on board the ISS and explore earth from space through science and maths activities. ARISS provides opportunities for the school community (students, teachers, families and community members) to become more aware of the substantial benefits of human spaceflight and the exploration and discovery that occur on spaceflight journeys.

Students have the opportunity to learn about space technologies and the technologies involved with space communications through exploration of amateur radio.

The students will be able to talk with the ISS through a ‘telebridge’, where a dedicated ARISS amateur radio ground station, located somewhere in the world, establishes the radio link with the ISS. Voice communications between students and the astronauts are then patched over regular telephone lines into the Bombala location, usually a gymnasium or auditorium.

Each year St Joseph’s Primary School chooses a whole school focus for its science, technology, history and geography time.

“Students love space and all that they can see and learn,” Mrs Tighe said.

“There is excitement in knowing that an astronaut knows who we are and how we can connect with them. Our Year 6 students remember connecting up when they were in Year 1, so the experience has a lasting effect.”

There are 16 students chosen to ask the astronaut a question based on a school competition last year. The children had to write the most interesting question to ask an astronaut with an answer that can’t necessarily be found online or in a book.

The school also received a grant from Snowy Hydro which was to purchase a telescope, so there will be star gazing happening on the night as well.