Rice Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts on Space Station

Students from the Rice Space Institute will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 10:10 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 8, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Mike Hopkins will answer prerecorded video questions from students in the greater Houston area, Scotland, and Ecuador who are connected through the Rice Space Institute. The Rice Space Institute, at Rice University in Houston, fosters interdisciplinary research and education focusing on space science, engineering, and technology development.

The event will be held virtually. U.S. media interested in covering it should contact Mike Williams at 671-281-6854 or [email protected]. Scottish media interested in covering the event should contact Kim McAllister at 07740-336991 or [email protected]. Ecuadorian media interested in covering the event should contact Robert Aillon at 593-98-647-9655 or [email protected].

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.

For more than 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked 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 return 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.