By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

Sterling Eames, left, and Jim Heedles attempt to figure out why they can't reach the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Rose Linehan, standing in the background with Principal Marc Boyd, gets ready to ask her question for the astronauts just in case. Maple Avenue School was one of 16 schools in the world chosen to talk to the scientists aboard the station. Since the connection failed, they'll try again in a few weeks. (Nathan Duke Photo)

Goffstown, we have a problem.

Maple Avenue Elementary School students were all set to speak to astronauts on the International Space Station on Tuesday, April 5, but a connection failure left an auditorium full of disappointed fourth-graders.

"You know, the same thing happened to Tom Hanks in Apollo 13," said Principal Marc Boyd to the students. "We could hear the astronauts, but they could not hear us."

A few words of audible dialogue were heard from the astronauts, but mostly a lot of loud static noises screeched out of the speakers in the school's gymnasium.

Maple Avenue was one of 16 schools in the world chosen to speak to the astronauts. Fourth-grade teacher Georgia Paris has been teaching her students about the solar system for several weeks and has been anticipating the conversation with the astronauts for several years.

The process of applying for selection has taken Paris three years, and she recently heard from NASA that the school was chosen among thousands worldwide.

She said she became interested in outer space when a meterorite hit the playground of Washington Rose Elementary School in Long Island when she was in fourth grade.

Sterling Eames, president of Bedford-based Spaceflight Satellite Systems, which attempted to contact the space station for the students, said he will get in touch with Amateur Radio International Space Shuttle (ARISS), a group that can 0possibly provide some perspective on the inability to connect with the astronauts. Eames speculated that the astronauts could have been tuned to the wrong frequency.

"We want to see what happened," he said. "I hope they can try it again, but the problem is it's a scheduling issue. The astronauts only have limited time on board (the station). This is a hobby for them."

Not a problem, however, is the orbit of the station.

"They pass over this area very frequently - every day or two," he said.

Many of the students said they were disappointed and hope for a retry to connect with the astronauts.

"They were disappointed, but we told them we would try again in a few weeks," said Paris. "The students were happy, though, to hear the astronauts' voices."

Despite being unable to speak directly with the astronauts, a number of students showed enthusiasm for the solar system lessons in Paris' class.

Several students said the most interesting lesson they learned was about growing crystals, while others enjoyed learning about constellations.

Philip Armstrong said he thinks it's fascinating how astronauts fix space stations in orbit.

"They have a big crane on the outside of the ship and (the astronauts) have tools with them," he said.

Each student prepared their own questions to ask the astronauts. Armstrong wanted to know how heavy spacesuits were. Rose Linehan wondered if it gets lonely in space.

Ashleigh Hartnett wanted to know the lowest number of people that could be at the station at once.

Some of the students said they enjoy learning about the solar system, but were unsure whether they would want to visit.

"I think it would be cool to go to space camp, but not to go to space," said Hartnett.

Armstrong said he would like to travel the solar system and had a specific goal in mind.

"I.d like to do the moon walk," he said.

Boyd said the students acted maturely when they realized the connection had failed.

"The kids have been so wonderful about this and they had some great questions," he said.

He said the students may still get their chance to speak with the astronauts and hope to give the event a second chance in a few weeks, if possible.

"We're not quitters," he said. "We'll come back at them again."