Nigerian students connect with NASA astronaut in space, pose questions

Some Nigerian students successful the FCT connected Saturday connected with Dr Zena Cardman, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut connected committee the International Space Station (ISS).

The connection, being the archetypal clip successful Africa, was acceptable up by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) successful Abuja connected Saturday.

The interaction was made via the ham Radio of the Amateur Radio of the International Space Station (ARISS) from its crushed presumption successful South Africa.

The lawsuit was aimed astatine helping the students recognize the dynamics of beingness successful abstraction and however technological probe was carried retired successful space.

The lawsuit besides underscored the planetary designation of Nigeria’s efforts and achievements successful the abstraction sector, the country’s committedness to the improvement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Dr. Matthew Adepoju, Director-General, NASRDA, said the lawsuit had the imaginable to animate a caller procreation of Nigerian scientists, engineers and innovators.

“We are present astatine the 4th concern revolution, powered by AI and robotics and the abstraction bureau is simply a probe instauration with monolithic planetary beingness and collaboration.

“We had the accidental to bring our secondary schoolhouse children to interface with the astronaut successful the outer abstraction astatine International Space Station and the excitement is adjacent to none,” Adepoju said.

Describing the lawsuit arsenic a landmark event, Adepoju said the bureau initiated it to alteration the students to make their involvement successful abstraction subject and technology.

“We brought a programme similar this to boost the assurance of the students, boosts their ego and that volition besides instrumentality them person to their dreams and aspirations,” helium said.

Adepoju urged schools to continually prosecute NASRDA successful their science-related programmes, assuring that the bureau would ever enactment acquisition initiatives that beforehand subject and exertion successful Nigeria.

Sharon Imoke, a pupil of New Hope International School, who asked a question connected however microgravity and outer radiation affects familial constitution of cultivation products said she was excited.

Imoke said she was considering changing her earlier vocation prime of studying Medicine to Agricultural Science.

Some different questions raised by the students included however astronauts entree h2o successful abstraction and recycle it; however astronauts link with their families from space, experiences successful space, among others.

20 schools participated successful the programme which included Astute Montessori School, Kuje, Hillside School, Islamic Leadership Academy, New Hope International School, Junior Secondary School Area 11, among others.

Certifications of information were besides presented to the schools.

Dr Matthew Adepoju, Director-General of NASRDA presenting certificate of information to a school

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Cardman, aboard a debased orbit Earth Observation outer spent 10 minutes to respond to 20 questions from the students.

Currently, Cardman is serving arsenic commandant for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, which launched connected August 1, 2025 to the ISS.

The station Nigerian students link with NASA astronaut successful space, airs questions appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.