Communicating Across the Cosmos

About this event

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026 Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm We’re talking to an astronaut! After we speak to space on Thursday, October 15, come celebrate our International Space Station chat with special programs, an opportunity to learn about ham radio, and a full replay of the cosmic conversation. All day, we’ll explore and experiment with the radio technology that is enabling students to speak with an astronaut in outer space from the EcoTarium. Get Tickets Program Schedule:† 11:00 am — Science Discovery: Sights, Sounds, and Science in Amateur Radio, with the Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association 12:00 pm — International Space Station Contact: Replay of the Conversation with Space 1:15 pm — Astronomy Live! Satellites: A Space Oddity* 2:00 pm — Astronomy Live! Tour of the Solar System* 2:45 pm — Science Discovery: Waving Around the World 3:00 pm — CAPCOM Go! The Apollo Story* 4:15 pm — Afternoon Astronomy Ongoing Activities: Welcome to Wavetown Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association: Learn about HAM Radios! Meet the Students: Who Asked What? Terrific Telescopes * Requires a separate ticket that is not included with admission. † Our International Space Station contact will take place during the week of October 12, with the final date determined by NASA in early October. The EcoTarium Website will be updated once we know the contact date. The program schedule is subject to change if the contact takes place on Saturday, October 17. To learn more about the EcoTarium’s contact with astronauts on the International Space Station, click here. Can’t make it on the 17th? Don’t worry! We always have something new happening outside, inside, and onstage. For maximum fun, join one of our daily planetarium programs*, take a ride on the seasonal Worcester Railers Explorer Express Train*, or get up and close to our resident otters*!

Description from ecotarium.org