April 8th, 2026, will forever be remembered locally as “The day we made contact.”
After months of anticipation and meticulous planning, students from around the local area made contact with Sophie Adenot of the European Astronaut Corps aboard the International Space Station. The contact, which lasted roughly 10 minutes as the ISS made its way over Earth, saw nearly 20 students from USD 253 Emporia, 251 North Lyon County, and 252 Southern Lyon County ask Adenot about her time in space.
Among the students asking questions was EMS 8th grader Madelynn Symmonds, who says she was nervous, but very excited for the opportunity.
Representing Hartford High School was sophomore Emmalie Bess, who says this is an event she will never forget.
The local contact was one of five taking place worldwide and one of two in the United States through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Emporia State University was named as a participant back in November and the past several months have been spent practicing and coordinating for the link-up.
Leading the way in those efforts was ESU Associate Professor Dr. Erica Martin, who says the actual moment was better than she had imagined.
Also involved in the organization of the contact was Mark Brown, ESU’s Peterson Planetarium Director, who admitted he became quite emotional upon hearing the ISS answer their call Wednesday morning.
In attendance to witness the link-up was new ESU President Matthew Baker, who tells KVOE News that many regents university’s are doing similar activities, but Emporia State is definitely leading the way when it comes to out-of-the-box experiences.
The connection with the ISS is not the only one that has occurred as a result of the ARISS Program, as ESU STEM Outreach Coordinator Daphne Mayes noted that this opportunity has helped create connections throughout the local community.
As mentioned, the program had several practices with students across the area, and saw the introduction of space-related curriculum into area classrooms over the past several months. USD 251 Superintendent Bob Blair says watching their students take part in the program has been a rewarding experience for him.
USD 253 Superintendent Dr. David McGehee says this is what education is all about.
The contact took place at the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (PAROC), which has also hosted many of the recent practices and several educational events related to the contact. Director Alexandra Hayes says she is so proud of her staff and ESU for making the link-up a possibility.
She also says that she hopes this major event shows everyone how versatile PAROC can be and just how vast and engaging science can be.
Overseeing the connection was Emporia’s Amateur Radio Society (EARS) led by President Tim East, who has stated before how excited the organization was to be a part of this historic moment. East added that this was a great opportunity to showcase that even in a digital world, radio is still an important and prevalent form of communication.
As mentioned, Emporia was one of two contacts in the United States through the program, with the other taking place last Thursday at Walnut Grove Elementary School in Suwanee, Georgia. A contact in Italy took place this past Wednesday, with the final two taking place in France Thursday.
The list of students who were able to ask questions Wednesday included:
Charley Wilson
Leah Sheeley
Brysyn Jacobs
Charlize Huffman
Aaliyah Rankin
Emmalie Bess
Brady Kelley
Leslie Salcido
Madelynn Symmonds
Alina Driessen
Garrett Leblanc
Kristopher Magana
Harper Williams
Christopher Gonzalez Rodriguez
Hayden Coop
Kaiden Dreasher
Kalif Jackson
Click here for a YouTube short of the initial contact with ISS.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News.
