{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"","standfirst":"Over 100 Scouts from Leamington Spa took part in a rare live Q\u0026A session with a NASA astronaut while he was aboard the International Space Station (ISS).","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EDuring the session on Saturday 18 October, the Scouts asked NASA astronaut Jonny Kim 22 questions, all of which he answered. This is\u0026nbsp;the most that any UK contact has ever had.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking part helped them gain first hand insights into life in space and develop their skills for life.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/x3tbapa1/iss-photo-6-reuben.png","width":1235,"height":798,"altText":"A young Scout speaks into a microphone while holding a piece of paper at an event called \u201CScouts ARISS Contact with the ISS.\u201D Behind him, adults operate radio equipment on a stage decorated with red curtains. Banners on either side display the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) logo. Audience members, including other Scouts, watch the interaction.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ESound and vision\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe TV connection was also successful, which meant for the first time since 2018, participants were able to see the astronaut in real time as he orbited 400km above the Earth\u2019s surface. Jonny showed his daughter\u2019s teddies, which floated in front of him while he spoke.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ECan you drink hot chocolate in space?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Scouts\u2019 questions were equally brilliant. When Reuben asked, \u2018What happens if you drop something in space?\u2019, Jonny answered \u2018It\u0027ll keep floating forever.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEthan, a Beaver, asked \u2018Can you drink hot chocolate in space?\u2019, to which Jonny replied \u2018Absolutely. It\u2019s one of my favourite drinks, especially to warm up with!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElyssa, a Scout, asked \u2018Do you feel dizzy when you get back to Earth?\u2019, and Jonny answered \u2018Yes, we feel very dizzy. That\u2019s because our bodies get used to having no gravity.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EPreparing for the mission\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo prepare for the cosmic conversation, the Scouts worked toward their \u003Ca href=\u0022/scouts/activity-badges/space/\u0022 title=\u0022Space\u0022\u003ESpace Activity Badge\u003C/a\u003E, introduced last year through a pioneering partnership with the UK Space Agency. The badge has ignited a passion for space exploration, inspiring curiosity, innovation, and a deeper understanding of space science among young people.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018You\u2019re never too old to learn something new,\u2019 Jonny told the Scouts from space, \u2018and if you remember that, you can do anything that you put your mind to.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOwen, \u003Ca href=\u0022/cubs/\u0022 title=\u0022Cubs\u0022\u003ECub Scout\u003C/a\u003E, age 8, shared \u0027I\u2019m so excited that I got to speak to a real astronaut in space. We\u2019ve been learning about space at Cubs, and we got our questions answered by an astronaut.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/gh4blg1r/iss-photo-2.png","width":1276,"height":715,"altText":"The image shows a Cub Scout wearing a polo top and a necker. They\u0027re stood next to a volunteer who\u0027s holding a microphone to their face and the Cub is holding a piece of paper in their hands.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EThanking our volunteers\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis extraordinary opportunity was made possible through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), a volunteer-led initiative that connects young people with space exploration.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGavin Gill, a Beaver Team Leader at 1st Radford Semele Scout Group, was part of the great volunteer effort.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"It\u2019s a true privilege to have been chosen to make contact with the International Space Station (ISS). Witnessing the joy and excitement has made it all worthwhile. Our young people are the future leaders in STEM and I believe this opportunity will inspire them for years to come.","attribution":"Gavin, Beaver Team Leader at 1st Radford Semele Scout Group","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/stjl1zfm/iss-photo-3.png","width":891,"height":686,"altText":"The image shows a Cub Scout wearing a uniform shirt with badges on and a Scout necker. They\u0027re stood next to a volunteer who\u0027s holding a microphone to their face as they read from a piece of paper.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EInspiring the astronauts of the future\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAhead of the event, astronaut and \u003Ca href=\u0022/about-us/our-people/scout-ambassadors/\u0022 title=\u0022Scout Ambassadors\u0022\u003EScout Ambassador\u003C/a\u003E, Tim Peake, offered these words of encouragement. He said,\u0026nbsp;\u2018I\u2019m thrilled that Scouts in Leamington Spa are speaking with astronauts aboard the ISS. It\u2019s the perfect opportunity to learn more from those living there. Who knows, maybe this is the moment that inspires another Scout to head to space?\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experience encouraged critical thinking, curiosity, and confidence, while showing that even the most distant dreams can be within reach.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"This is a fantastic opportunity through our partnership with Scouts to give young people a direct interactive experience with the astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS). But this experience is more than talking to astronauts. It\u0027s connecting to the thousands of workers in the space sector that enable us to have a human presence in orbit, and to the scientists and researchers that develop the life changing experiments that the astronauts conduct.","attribution":"Ingmar Kamalagharan, Head of Education and Future Workforce at the UK Space Agency","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWell done to all the Scouts, volunteers (and astronauts!) who took part and made this possible.\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"20 October 2025","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Scouts Space Activity Badge","url":"/scouts/activity-badges/space/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":87571,"nodeName":"Scouts make contact with the International Space Station","title":"Scouts make contact with the International Space Station","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/x3tbapa1/iss-photo-6-reuben.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dc41c468f00c70","caption":"ISS Photo 6 Reuben","type":"png","size":1636742,"width":1235,"height":798,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Scouts make contact with the International Space Station","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Over 100 Scouts took part in a rare live Q\u0026A session with a NASA astronaut while he was aboard the International Space Station.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC84NzU3MSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2025/october/scouts-make-contact-with-the-international-space-station/"}