California Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts Aboard Space Station
Students from across California will have an opportunity Thursday, March 18, to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 12:35 p.m. EDT on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Shannon Walker will answer prerecorded questions from K-12 students from seven local school districts: Pomona Unified, Ontario-Montclair, Chaffey Joint Unified, Claremont Unified, Mountain View Unified, Fontana Unified, and Rialto Unified. Glover, a native of Pomona, California, attended classes in the Chaffey Joint School District and graduated from Ontario High School. Rep. Norma Torres will give prerecorded opening and closing remarks for the event.
“What NASA does is important for inspiring the next generation – today’s students are tomorrow’s scientists, mathematicians, and engineers,” said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. “I’m excited they will get a front-seat look at the incredible research underway on the ISS and I am confident this experience will inspire these students to dream big and one day pursue careers in STEM fields.”
The event will take place virtually. Media interested in covering the event should contact Dan Lindner with Torres’ office at [email protected] or 202-839-0759.
“Astronauts Victor Glover and Shannon Walker are proof to kids across the Inland Empire that they too can make big dreams a reality if they strive for them,” Torres said. “After a year of remote learning that has created new challenges for students and teachers alike, nothing could be more important than to encourage our youth to set their sights high. I look forward to this once-in-a-lifetime conversation direct from space and thank Victor, Shannon, and NASA for their willingness to make it happen.”
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. Astronauts living in space on the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Network’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS).
For more than 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and work on the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon, with eventual human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.