NASA has an exemplary record of providing outreach and educational opportunities as they work toward helping to strengthen our future workforce by engaging students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
And today, 500 middle school students and teachers will have an out-of-this-world phone conversation with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Flight Engineers Doug Wheelock, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, and Shannon Walker will make the long-distance phone call on Thursday, Sept. 9, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. EDT.
Students at the Pinellas County Science Center in St. Petersburg, Fla. have prepared for today’s downlink by using data from NASA's satellite network to complete lessons in robotics and marine science.
The downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA Education Office program. It promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of human spaceflight.
The center is celebrating its 50th year as a non-profit educational facility with programs focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The center houses an observatory, planetarium, marine touch tank, weather station, wetlands and labs for cyber security, forensics, chemistry, robotics, energy, petrology and computers.
NASA Television will air video from the station during the event.
The International Space Station is a partnership of the US, Russian, European, Japanese, and Canadian Space Agencies. The station has been continuously human occupied since Nov 2, 2000. Orbiting 16 times per day at 17,500 miles per hour 250 miles above the ground, it passes over 90% of the world’s surface.
Research being conducted on board the Space Station is helping prepare the way for future exploration to the moon and beyond.
Click here for the NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information.
(source: NASA)
Also see:
NASA now accepting applications for aeronautics scholarships
U. of Md. students announced as finalists in NASA's 'Inflatable Loft Competition'
NASA wants high schoolers to design software for use on the International Space Station
Comments
Looking forward to watching it!
Fabulous opportunity for students to become even more interested in NASA. I wish we'd had streaming video when I was in school. I'm sure many of the 500 are really excited to talk with members of the International Space Station crew.
What an incredible experience for those kids. That's outstanding.
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