Dad's Ham Radio Hobby Leads to Daughter Calling Astronaut in Space — Hear Their Adorable Chat!
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It was one small step for a NASA astronaut and one giant leap for a father-daughter duo from the U.K. with a shared interest in amateur radio.
Matt Payne, of Kent, England, got to share a special experience with his 8-year-old daughter Isabella Payne thanks to his personal passion for amateur radio, also known as ham radio, for much of the little girl's young life.
On Aug. 2, the pair put Matt's hobby to good use by making a special call to the amateur radio station aboard the International Space Station using his amateur radio station, M0LMK, according to news service TMX.
The call went through, and on the other end of the line was Kjell Lindgren, commander of NASA SpaceX Crew-4.
RELATED: All About NASA's Artemis I Mission, Including How to Watch the Mega Rocket Launch to the Moon
In an audio clip of the awesome exchange shared by Matt on Twitter, Isabella introduces herself to Lindgren, who then shares a special message with the young girl.
"My name's Isabella, I'm 8 years old," Isabella says to the NASA commander, who is staying on ISS for his six-month mission.
"Isabella, it's so great to chat with you, thank you for getting on the radio and saying hello," Lindgren replied. The pair exchanged some thank yous before signing off.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Later that day, Matt and Lindgren thanked each other on Twitter for the awesome exchange.
"Thank you so much," Matt wrote to Lindgren, adding, "you have changed her world."
April 23, 2016. A 2 year old sat on my knee and watched the students of Wellesley House school chat with @astro_timpeake, an event I helped organise. Today she got her chance. Thank you so much @astro_kjell, you have changed her world. #iss #NASA #ARISS https://t.co/ImfevefePV
— Matt (@m0lmk) August 2, 2022
In his reply, Lindgren said the conversation "may be my favorite contact so far" while using ham radio in space.
"I've had a lot of fun using the #ARISS amateur radio station #NA1SS on the @Space_Station to talk with ham radio operators all over the world," the astronaut said in a quote tweet of Matt's original message.
He later concluded, "Thanks Isabella and @m0lmk!"
I've had a lot of fun using the #ARISS amateur radio station #NA1SS on the @Space_Station to talk with ham radio operators all over the world. I've even (unofficially) worked stations on all continents! But this may be my favorite contact so far. Thanks Isabella and @m0lmk! https://t.co/Z2pWUbEZZr
— Kjell Lindgren (@astro_kjell) August 2, 2022
Six years before this marvelous meeting, Matt brought Isabella to see local students connect with British astronaut Tim Peake via ham radio at an event he helped coordinate, according to his tweet.
This time, it was Isabella's turn to have fun, and she got to share it with the man whose hobby made everything possible.
"A 2 year old sat on my knee and watched the students of Wellesley House school chat with @astro_timpeake," he said of the April 23, 2016, event on Twitter.
"Today," he added, "she got her chance."
