Oregon teen’s quest to contact International Space Station reaches milestone

A dash of cosmic curiosity has given a 13-year-old Portlander and his online schoolmates the chance to chat Friday with one of the astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station.

Ezekiel Wheeler’s journey to this moment began in 2020, during the pandemic, when he asked his dad how someone might contact someone orbiting Earth. A quick Google search revealed that a ham radio sits on the International Space Station, igniting a family project that would span more than four years.

Determined to make contact, the teen earned his ham radio license at age 8. His dad and grandfather also earned theirs. Together they built antennas and satellite trackers to catch the space station as it passed over Portland. Despite numerous attempts, they never managed to reach an astronaut. But Ezekiel didn’t let the setbacks dampen his spirits.

Ezekiel documented his journey on a YouTube channel, sharing troubleshooting tips and insights, and his reputation grew along the way.

“He’s always been a little curious about technology, and I really wanted to encourage that,” said Eric Wheeler, Ezekiel’s dad. “When he was about a year and a half he had this little contraption that was made up of a switch, a battery holder and a lightbulb screwed to a piece of 2×4.”

Ezekiel chimed in: “I used to run around shouting ‘battery, switch, lightbulb.’”

“He treated it like it was his teddy bear,” his dad said.

In April 2024, Ezekiel took his project to new heights by designing and programming a 3D-printed satellite tracker, which earned him first prize in the engineering division and Best of Show for a middle school student at the Oregon State Science Fair.

He was also named a top 30 finalist in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, giving him a shot at up to $100,000 in scholarships when he heads to Washington, D.C., later this month.

Ezekiel’s big break came when one of NASA’s educational outreach programs approved a proposal submitted by his online charter school, TEACH-NW, for a ham radio call between Sunita Williams, the astronaut whose eight-day mission aboard the space station has stretched into almost a year, and TEACH-NW students.

Ezekiel will make the 11-minute call and facilitate the event where classmates will ask 20 pre-approved questions submitted to NASA, as OPB has also reported.

“We didn’t know we would be talking to Sunita Williams,” Eric Wheeler said. “Otherwise we might have had more questions to ask her.”

Williams has been trapped at the International Space Station for months with co-pilot Barry Wilmore after a technical failure delayed their return and extended their mission.

The call will take place at the future site of the Carlton Observatory in McMinnville, located on the grounds of the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum.

TEACH-NW contacted leaders of the Carlton Observatory to help organize the event, which needed a venue that could accommodate the anticipated crowd.

Janet Zuelke, one of the leaders, praised the teen’s incredible perseverance.

“He is absolutely the most incredible young human being I think I’ve ever met,” said Zuelke. “He’s been interested in science his entire life and at 8-years-old took the ham radio test three times to get it, and I don’t think people even realize how much of a challenge that is for an adult.”

She added: “There’s something special about this kid. You wanna stand next to him because you know he is going to do something special in this world and you want to be able to look back and say ‘I stood next to that kid once.’”

The educational outreach program that allows students and amateur radio operators to communicate with astronauts aboard the ISS is called Amateur Radio on the International Space Station. Founded in 1996, ARISS promotes STEM education by providing a direct link to space exploration.

Ezekiel said that he hopes his journey is a reminder that a little curiosity and creativity can take you places — including outer space.

“I want to inspire more kids to get interested in what they want to do, and follow through on what they do and never give up,” said Ezekiel.

Ezekiel will be streaming the event on his YouTube channel.

— Tyler Brown is a breaking news reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive. You can reach him at tbrown2@oregonian.com or 503-221-8243.