SCHOOLCHILDREN from Exmoor will take a giant leap in their understanding of space on Tuesday (October 8) when they have a live talk with an astronaut on board the International Space Station as it zooms overhead.

Pupils at Bampton School is one of only two schools in the country, and the only state one, to have been awarded the opportunity this year, following a rigorous selection process and a year of preparation.

The ten-minute contact - starting at precisely 1.51pm - will not only be an exciting project for the children but also for others in the area and the wider community, and the school will build on the experience with organisations ranging from Dulverton Junior School’s amateur radio group to the Exmoor Radio Group and the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival.

“It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the school and the wider community,” said head teacher Gary Bladon.

“I am thrilled that we have been able to secure such a unique experience for the children.”

The event came about through the efforts of its co-ordinator Nick Bull, who is a parent with three children at the school and is involved in amateur radio.

He was on holiday with his family when he read about the possibility on the website of the Amateur Radio International Space Station, an organisation which oversees the educational contacts between the space station astronauts and schools.

“It was lucky I just happened to look at their projects, downloaded this 15-page application, and submitted it at the last minute. We then did an interview – and got it!”

While the whole school will be able to listen together to the chat, only about 15 children will be able to speak directly to astronaut Andrew Morgan and ask questions which have been approved by NASA (the US government’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

The children were asked to think about what they wanted to ask, and do some research, during their holidays, and the school has selected the ones it thinks best.

The live conversation will be enabled by the Amateur Radio International Space Station (ARISS), an an organisation which works with amateur radio groups internationally.