Jun 17, 2026
NEW SHU DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT LETS VISITORS TALK TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University’s Discovery Science Center & Planetarium is piloting Call a Satellite, an interactive space experience that allows visitors to ask questions about the International Space Station (ISS) and receive conversational responses using live orbital data and voice AI.
The exhibit gives visitors a simple way to engage with space infrastructure in real time. Instead of only seeing information about the ISS on a screen, visitors can ask questions such as “Where are you right now?,” “What are you flying over?,” and “How fast are you moving?” The experience combines publicly available ISS orbital data with a conversational AI voice interface, allowing visitors to ask questions naturally and receive responses about the station’s current location, speed, altitude, and movement around Earth.
The experience was developed by Oasis Orbital, a space technology startup founded by Aditya Upadhyay, a Stony Brook University graduate.
“Space infrastructure often feels distant and abstract,” said Upadhyay. “Call a Satellite is meant to make satellites feel more real and accessible by turning live orbital data into a conversation. When someone can ask the ISS where it is and receive an answer based on its actual position, space becomes something they can directly interact with.”
Before its installation at the Discovery Science Center & Planetarium, Call a Satellite was tested in a classroom setting at Stony Brook University. Professor Phillip Baldwin observed that students engaged naturally with the system, using live orbital data to explore concepts such as satellite position, speed, and orbital movement in a more tangible way.
The current Discovery Science Center & Planetarium pilot is designed specifically around the International Space Station. The broader Call a Satellite platform is built to support additional satellites and orbital objects over time, with the goal of making complex space systems more understandable through interactive public education.
The exhibit reflects the Discovery Science Center & Planetarium’s mission to create engaging, hands-on science experiences for visitors. By combining live space data with conversational interaction, Call a Satellite gives visitors a new way to explore Earth orbit and understand the technology moving above them every day.
Call a Satellite will open on June 22 and run for a limited pilot until July 9. Discovery is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with Mondays for members and private groups only. Wednesdays have extended hours 10a.m.-7p.m.
For more information, visit shudiscovery.org, contact info@shudiscovery.org, and follow Discovery on social media @DiscoveryBPT.
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About Sacred Heart University
As one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities and among the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. Nearly 10,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: College of Arts & Sciences; School of Communication, Media & the Arts; School of Social Work; School of Performing Arts; College of Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; School of Computer Science & Engineering and the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. Sacred Heart, a Laudato Si’ campus, stands out from other Catholic universities as it was established to be led by the laity. This contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts and, at the same time, cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition and Best Business Schools: 2025 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio; a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu
About Discovery Discovery Museum, Inc. (dba SHU Discovery Science Center & Planetarium) is an independent non-profit educational organization located in Bridgeport, Connecticut which seeks to connect audiences of all ages with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) learning. The belief in the importance of providing hands-on STEAM learning experiences that resonate with children’s natural curiosity and love of learning is at the core of the Discovery mission. We are active advocates for STEAM literacy in Connecticut and utilize our unique resources and expertise in informal STEAM learning to encourage and provide a pathway for learners of all ages to become STEAM-empowered and informed decision-makers in an increasingly technology-driven world.
About Call a Satellite Call a Satellite is an interactive voice interface that translates live satellite telemetry into conversational responses for museums, classrooms, and public science education environments.
About Oasis Orbital Oasis Orbital is a space technology startup founded by Aditya Upadhyay. The company is developing interactive tools that make space systems, satellites, and orbital infrastructure more accessible to the public. Upadhyay’s work sits at the intersection of software, space education, and public engagement. He is especially interested in the systems operating above Earth every day, many of which remain invisible to the public despite their role in weather, navigation, communications, and environmental monitoring. Through Oasis Orbital, he is building public-facing technology that helps visitors, students, and educators experience orbital systems in a more direct and memorable way.
Learn more: https://www.callasatellite.dev
Oasis Orbital’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oasisorbital/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaau/
Contacts:
Sarah Tropp-Pacelli, SHU Discovery Science Center & Planetarium, stropppacelli@shudiscovery.org
Aditya Upadhya, Founder, Oasis Orbital, oasisorbital.inc@gmail.com
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