'Never thought I would get this opportunity': Springfield students talk to astronaut aboard ISS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students at Lincoln Magnet School. For a few minutes on Friday, students connected via ham radio to astronaut Jonny Kim, who is currently on the International Space Station (ISS).

The students got the chance to ask more than a dozen questions as the ISS travelled over Springfield. The school got a special satellite brought to the school from a different part of the state. The students were responsible for a large part of the planning process.

"The kids sparked more and more things in the classroom," said Principal Nichole Heyen. "We had a read-aloud. They wanted more series, they wanted more books, they wanted more learning. We could barely keep up with all the excitement."

It took a few calls through the radio for the ISS to pick up. This is typical, but it made students very anxious that they weren't going to be able to connect. When they did hear back, applause erupted in the room.

"I was so excited to talk to a real-life astronaut because I never thought I would get this opportunity," said Lyric Standage.

Standage was the first student to ask Kim a question. The questions were collected from the students and decided based on how many kids wanted to know about different things. The questions involved what zero gravity felt like, their favorite space foods, how it felt to see Earth and other things.

Three educators from Lincoln Magnet School will now get the chance to travel to NASA in a couple of months to learn more about certain software or other teaching materials that can be helpful for students.

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