The Bishop’s ‘Letters to Astronauts’ Initiative Celebrates Arrival of Signed Photos and Space-Flown Flag
A letter from space? Now you don’t receive one of those in the mail every day!! This month, staff at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature received a special package from Astronaut Raja Chari, containing signed photos, stamped letters, an Expedition 66 sticker, and a small Florida Flag that traveled all the way to the International Space Station and back!
The Bishop’s ‘Letters to Astronauts’ Program encourages children to write letters to Active Astronauts with questions, comments, and ideas about space. It began with a 2024 trial every Saturday from August to October. After receiving over 80 letters to 28 astronauts, the program expanded in 2025, with over 150 letters received in the first two months of the new year. The package from Astronaut Raja Chari was the first of hopefully many to return to the Museum.
Raja Chari graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with degrees in Astronautical Engineering and Engineering Science. He then earned a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. Raja Chari’s journey with NASA began in 2017, when he was selected to join the Astronaut Candidate Class. He served as commander of the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the ISS and flight engineer aboard the ISS for Expeditions 66 and 67. During his time on the ISS, he performed two spacewalks and spent 177 days in orbit!
Hannah Sparkes, the Planetarium Supervisor at The Bishop, who conceived the program, said, “It’s been such a fulfilling experience to create this program, connect young aspiring astronomers with active astronauts, and see it come full circle with the arrival of Astronaut Raja Chari’s response.”
In conjunction with the monthly KidSpace Program, the ‘Letters to Astronauts’ Program helps to foster interest, curiosity, and a love for astronomy. Astronaut Raja Chari’s autographed photo stating, “To Kidspace, Thanks for coming to learn about the universe around us. You’ll be the ones to get us to Mars,” will be displayed in the planetarium lobby at The Bishop for all to see.
Reach for the stars and write your own letter to an astronaut at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton, Florida!
