Kentucky, Oklahoma Students to Hear from NASA Astronaut in Space

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from Kentucky and Oklahoma will have the opportunity next week to hear from NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins aboard the International Space Station. The two space-to-Earth calls will air live this month on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

Watkins will answer prerecorded questions from middle and high school students at 2 p.m. EDT, Monday, Aug. 22. For 23 years, the Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky has provided STEM education to students in southeastern Kentucky. The downlink –part of a back-to-school campaign – launches the center's new interactive STEM program highlighting Artemis. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will deliver opening remarks. Media interested in covering the event should contact Misty Feltner at: misty@kikodesigns.com or 606-216-4915.

Watkins will also answer prerecorded questions from current students and middle school alumni from Darnaby Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23. The downlink will support Darnaby's ongoing STEM activities including its science club, a NASA-themed summer camp, and a NASA-centric science fair. Media interested in covering the event should contact Christopher Payne at: payne.chris@unionps.org or 918-770-2469.

For more than 21 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts living in space on the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Near Space Network Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS).

As part of Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon, to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

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

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

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SOURCE NASA