Cadets connect with Astronaut Jack Hathaway

On 14 August 2026, members of the South Australia Group of the Australian Air League gathered at The Mawson Centre in Mawson Lakes for a live radio hook-up with the International Space Station (ISS). The Chief Commissioner was in attendance to share the milestone event alongside the cadets and staff.

Connecting with Commander Jack Hathaway

Speaking directly with the cadets was NASA astronaut Commander Jack Hathaway. A U.S. Navy Commander and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the UK’s Empire Test Pilots’ School, Hathaway logged over 2,500 flight hours across 30 aircraft types and flew 39 combat missions before being selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in December 2021. With advanced degrees in flight dynamics and national security, he completed rigorous astronaut candidate training in 2024 to prepare for his long-duration mission aboard the orbital laboratory.

The Global Telebridge Connection

Establishing the link required a multi-stage telebridge spanning several continents:

• Local Audio Uplink: Audio originated from The Mawson Centre in Mawson Lakes.
• National Link: The signal was transmitted up to the Australian base station in Mackay, Queensland.
• International Relay: From Mackay, the connection was bounced across the globe to Northern Italy.
• Space-to-Ground Contact: Northern Italian ground station operator Claudio hailed the ISS as it passed overhead, patching the signal directly through to Commander Hathaway.

10 Minutes with Orbit

The orbital pass provided approximately 10 minutes of operational communication time before the station moved out of range. Working methodically against the clock, the cadets got through 15 of their 20 prepared questions with Commander Hathaway before the signal faded over the horizon.

he South Australia Group extends its sincere gratitude to the team at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and the international network of operators whose technical coordination made this global relay possible. Special thanks also go to The Mawson Centre for hosting the event and providing the venue for our cadets to connect directly with space.