West Virginia Students to Speak with NASA Astronaut on Space Station

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Jan 23, 2018, 03:01 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Students from three elementary schools and one college in West Virginia will speak with a NASA astronaut living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 11:35 a.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 25. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Students will travel to West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon for the call to Expedition 54 astronaut Joe Acaba aboard the space station. The students will ask questions about life aboard the orbiting laboratory, NASA's deep space exploration plans, and doing science in space.

Acaba arrived at the space station on Sept. 12 on his third space mission and is scheduled to return to Earth in February.

West Virginia Wesleyan College was selected through a competitive process to host a downlink with the station. Students across the participating districts have been preparing for the event by studying the space station, astronaut biographies, and the current research and activities happening aboard the space station. Students and teachers are expected to be on-site at West Virginia Wesleyan College for the downlink.

Media interested in attending the event should contact Bailee Miller via email at [email protected] or phone at 304-367-8270. West Virginia Wesleyan College will host the event at 59 College Ave., Buckhannon.

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