NASA Astronauts Bring Wonder of International Space Station to the Bay Area

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Feb 09, 2015, 07:26 ET

HOUSTON, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ever wonder what it's like to be an astronaut and to live and work in space? Find out directly from NASA astronauts who will be in the Bay Area the week of Feb. 17 as NASA shares the accomplishments, promise and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station.

Space station veteran astronauts Doug Wheelock and Reid Wiseman and former NASA astronaut and station resident Dan Bursch will share their stories and be available for media during the week. Space station scientists Kirt Costello and Camille Alleyne, spacesuit systems engineer Marlon Cox and Center for Advancement of Science in Space's (CASIS) director of business development Cynthia Bouthot also will participate.

Wheelock lived and worked off the Earth, for the Earth aboard the station for 163 days in 2010, supporting more than 120 microgravity experiments in human research, biology and biotechnology, physical and materials sciences, technology development and Earth and space sciences. Wheelock was the lead spacewalker for three unplanned spacewalks to fix the station's cooling system. Wiseman returned from a six-month stay on the station in November, gaining notoriety for sharing his experience through social media, including the first Vine video post from space. Bursch lived and worked on the station for 196 days in 2001, conducting two spacewalks and enhancing the station's research capabilities.

NASA's Ames Research Center, at the Bay Area's Moffett Field, makes local contributions to the International Space Station Program that will be highlighted at several Destination Station events. Ames' expertise fuels research in molecular, cell and model organism science, and affordable payload development. The center provides unique ground research facilities, advanced research concepts and hardware, and state-of-the-art development of technologies such as the free-flying SPHERES interior satellites.

On Feb. 14 and 15, NASA will participate in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Family Science Days. Bursch will speak at 1 p.m. Feb. 15, and CASIS will participate from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST both days.

On Feb. 17, Kaiser Permanente will host a Microgravity Industry Day to share the importance of space station research including presentations by NASA, CASIS and its staff. Guests will have the opportunity to touch a 4-billion-year-old moon rock inside the "Driven to Explore" mobile exhibit from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event is not open to the public. Media planning to attend should contact Amanda Wardell at 510-267-7364 for access.

On Feb. 18, Wheelock, CASIS, Costello and Stanford University scientists will discuss station research opportunities from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the university's Oberndorf Event Center.

On Feb. 19, visitors to the Children's Creativity Museum in San Francisco will have the opportunity to learn about spacesuit design from Cox, who has been developing NASA spacesuits for nearly a decade. Cox will make hourly presentations for all ages and the museum will host space-themed activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Children's Creativity Museum is a hands-on multimedia arts and technology experience for children. Visit www.creativity.org for more details.

Also Feb. 19, Wiseman and Cox will be at the Chabot Space and Science Center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet and greet Wiseman before the presentation.

On Feb. 20, International Space Station Day at the California Academy of Sciences will feature hands-on activities exploring the extreme temperatures in space, astronaut cuisine and more from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Driven to Explore exhibit also will be available.

Also Feb. 20, Wiseman attend the 7:30 p.m. Golden State Warriors game at Oracle Arena, sharing a video about human spaceflight and benefits from the space station.

Times (all PST), dates, locations and media contact information for events:

11 a.m. Feb 14-15 AAAS Family Science Days
Linda Hosler (202-326-6656, [email protected])

9 a.m. Feb. 17 Kaiser Permanente (not open to the public)
Amanda Wardell (510-292-0758, [email protected])

11 a.m. Feb. 18 Stanford University (Wheelock)
Tom Abate (650-736-2245, [email protected])
Jamie Beckett (650-736-2241, [email protected])

10 a.m. Feb. 19 Children's Creativity Museum
Cathy Barragan (425-820-3356, [email protected])

5 p.m. Feb. 19 Chabot Space and Science Center (Wiseman)
Autumn King (510-336-7306, [email protected])

9:30 a.m. Feb. 20 California Academy of Sciences
Haley Bowling (415-379-5123, [email protected])

7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 Warriors vs. Spurs at Oracle Arena (Wiseman)
Marco Nicola (510-986-2292)

For more about Destination Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/destinationstation

For more about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station