Suggested Searches

3 min read

Maryland, Michigan, Texas Students to Link Up with NASA Astronauts on Space Station

The Expedition 55 crew, including NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold, Drew Feustel and Scott Tingle.
The Expedition 55 crew, including NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold, Drew Feustel and Scott Tingle, gathers inside the Zvezda service module during their welcoming ceremony on March 23, 2018. Credits: NASA

Students from Maryland, Michigan and Texas will talk with astronauts on the International Space Station this week as part of NASA’s Year of Education on Station.

NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold, Drew Feustel and Scott Tingle will answer questions about life aboard the space station, NASA’s deep space exploration plans and conducting science in space during all three opportunities. The Expedition 55 astronauts are living, working and researching aboard the International Space Station and the 20-minute, Earth-to-space calls will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

The first event will connect Arnold and Feustel with students from Oakland Community College and Lake Orion High School in Auburn Hills, Michigan, at 10:25 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 17. Media interested in attending should contact Bridget Kavanaugh at bmkavana@oaklandcc.edu or 248-341-2121. The event will take place at Oakland Community College, Auburn Hills Campus, Building G, Room G-240.

The second event will allow students from Brookwood Elementary in Houston to speak with Arnold and Tingle at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 18, in connection with the school’s science fair. The event at Brookwood Elementary is available to media via Eva DeCardenas at edecarde@ccisd.net or 281-284-0029. The event will take place at 16850 Middlebrook Dr. Houston.

The third call will link Arnold and Feustel with students from South River High School in Maryland at 10:35 a.m. Thursday, April 19. The students will enjoy a full school day of activities focusing on the theme “NASA has something for everyone.” Interested media should contact Bob Mosier at rmosier@aacps.org or 281-284-0029. The event will take place at 201 Central Ave. E, Edgewater, Maryland.

Linking teachers directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA’s Year of Education on Station, which provides extensive space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators. Astronauts living in space on the orbiting laboratory communicate with the Mission Control Center on Earth 24 hours a day through the Space Network’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS).

In addition, Feustel and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Norishige Kanai will take part in a Facebook Live question and answer session on the International Space Station’s account, and then Feustel will continue the talk with KHOU-TV sports anchor Matt Musil. The joint event will start at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 16. Both will air on NASA TV and the agency’s website.

Follow the astronauts on social media at:

https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts/

See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation/

-end-

Katherine Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
katherine.m.brown@nasa.gov
Frank Prochaska
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
frank.e.prochaska@nasa.gov