Isabella Payne told CNN about the experience: To “summon” the astronauts, she used an amateur device built by her father, who has always been passionate about radio and space.
For a person who is passionate about radio and space, the biggest dream is to talk to an astronaut in orbit: Isabella Payne has already succeeded at just 8 years old. As the same British girl from Kent told CNN, on the evening of August 2 last year, her father woke her up and literally catapulted her right in front of a radio amateur.
On the other hand was Kjell Lindgren, US astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station. A very short conversation, consisting of a few greetings and congratulations, which, however, was enough to give unforgettable minutes to the girl and her father Matthew Payne, a big fan of radio and space for decades.
amateur calls
This special contact was made possible by the habit of astronauts using amateur radio equipment aboard the ISS to contact school groups on Earth and, in rare cases, some people which in turn have home radio amateur systems. Payne falls into this group, having one license for 22 years, which allows him to practice this hobby.
Exchange in social networks
A social epilogue has also been added to make the story even more curious. Payne actually shared a tweet in which he revealed how in 2016 he helped a schoolboy contact astronaut Tim Peak aboard the station. Even then, Isabellawhen he was only two years old, he unwittingly witnessed an interview. “Today he had a chance. Many thanks to Kjell Lindgren, you may have changed his life,” Payne wrote on the social network.
However, Lindgren’s response was not long in coming, including via Twitter: “I had a lot of fun using the amateur radio station aboard the ISS to communicate with radio amateurs around the world. But this might be my favorite conversation so far. Thank you Isabella and Matthew!” we read in a tweet in which she recalls with particular joy the conversation she had with the girl and her father.
August 23
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