Chile is known for its spectacular desert skies - some of the clearest on Earth. They create a natural canvas for astrophotography, astronomical discovery and generations of aspiring scientists and explorers.
During a Science, Space and Education event at Liceo Bicentenario Mary Graham in Villa Alemana, Valparaíso, students made history as the first public school in Chile to establish live radio contact with the International Space Station.
Students spoke directly with NASA astronaut Commander Jack Hathaway during an approximately 10-minute contact through ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) and Radio Club Los Molinos. The achievement was the culmination of a project that began in 2025 and brought together multiple areas of study, giving students a direct connection to space science and exploration.
At the event, facilitated by Congressman Luis Pardo, SkyMapper was introduced to key representatives of Chile’s science, space and education ecosystem, including public authorities and board members of the Asociación Chilena del Espacio (ACHIDE), as well as Ariane Luttheke, Regional Ministerial Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation.
We introduced SkyMapper’s vision for a global decentralized network of connected telescopes and sky-monitoring stations, connecting students, researchers, citizen scientists, municipalities and communities directly with the sky.
The conversation is already moving toward a working group with Chile’s Ministry of Science and other institutions to explore an open program promoting astronomy, space sciences, citizen science and education. This includes the potential deployment of SkyMapper bundles in schools and universities, as well as through amateur SkyMapper clubs, enabling hands-on astronomical observation and research.
The setting could hardly have been more appropriate. The students at Liceo Bicentenario Mary Graham demonstrated what can happen when science, education and access to technology come together: young people weren’t simply learning about space - they were communicating directly with it.
This is exactly what we want SkyMapper to become: infrastructure that connects schools, scientists and communities to the sky, wherever they are.
With its extraordinary astronomical heritage and access to the southern sky, Chile has the potential to become a strategic gateway for SkyMapper into Latin America and across the Southern Hemisphere.
A big thank you to Gabriel Yanssen and everyone who helped make these introductions happen. We’re looking forward to building something meaningful in Chile.
FIND OUT MORE:
Links about the event:
https://www.observador.cl/villa-alemana-liceo-contacto-estacion-espacial/
Chilean Air Force SSNN:
https://www.instagram.com/reels/Dd2DpDpjmVE/
