Students in Peace Corps Program to Speak with NASA Astronauts on Space Station

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Feb 05, 2018, 11:37 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Students from Washington, D.C., will speak with NASA astronauts living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 12:55 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 7. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

The students from H.D. Cooke Elementary School will make the call to Expedition 54 astronauts Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei aboard the space station, posing questions about life aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans, and doing science in space. The students are participating in the Peace Corps World Wise Schools program, which connects classrooms in the U.S. with a Peace Corps volunteer's classroom abroad. The students at H.D. Cooke Elementary School will ask questions while fellow students in the U.S. and overseas tune in.

Acaba and Vande Hei arrived at the space station Sept.12 and will return to Earth this month. Acaba is a former member of the Peace Corps, spending two years in the Dominican Republic as an environmental education awareness promoter.

Students have been preparing for the event by studying the space station, astronaut biographies, and the current research and activities happening aboard the space station. Some 150 students are expected to be at the school for the downlink.

Media interested in attending the event should contact Matthew Sheehey via email at [email protected] or phone at 202-692-2434. The event will take place at 2525 17th Street NW in Washington.

Linking students 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.

Follow the astronauts on social media:

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

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

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

SOURCE NASA