Winmalee over the moon about close encounter Winmalee over the moon about close encounter It took two years to organise but this school excursion was literally out-of-this-world. 22 April 2021 Image: Space junkie: Helped by teacher Alison Broderick, Alberto asks his question about whether the space station avoids rubbish. Students at Winmalee Public School had a direct line to the stars this week when they were given the chance to speak to an astronaut on the International Space Station as he orbited 430 kilometres overhead. The 11-minute call was two years in the making after school science teacher Alison Broderick applied to NASA and ARISS International (Amateur Radio on the ISS) to be part of an amateur radio operators’ program that enables students around the globe to speak to an astronaut.