Student to connect with space station

A student will set up a link with the International Space Station and talk with astronaut Sunita Williams Friday from the Carlton Observatory at Evergreen on the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum campus.

Zeke Wheeler of Beaverton has been working toward a goal of talking to the ISS since he was 8. Now 13, he first earned an amateur radio license, then a higher-level license in his quest.

Carlton Observatory is sponsoring the event, backed by the Evergreen museums. Zeke will set up his antennas on the spot where the observatory will build its building in coming years – just behind the space museum.

He will start setting up early Friday morning. NASA has arranged for him to talk to Williams on the ISS at 11:30 and 4 seconds. The connection will be open for 10 minutes.

Zeke’s classmates at the TEACH-NW online school have developed questions for Williams. They will ask the questions, as well.

Spectators can watch Zeke’s broadcast in person or from the space museum’s Galaxy Theater.

For more information about the Carlton Observatory, go to carltonobservatory.org/.