WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Students from the greater Seattle area will have an opportunity next week to talk with a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 12:55 p.m. EDT Monday, March 2, on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Jessica Meir will answer questions from middle school students from across the Seattle region. Participants prepared for the Microsoft Education-hosted call by designing prototype protective footwear for astronauts through the Astro Socks Design Challenge.

The event will take place at The Museum of Flight, 9404 E Marginal Way South, Seattle. Media interested in covering should contact Lindsay Bayne at libayn@microsoft.com or 317-446-6058, and Ted Huetter at THuetter@museumofflight.org or 206-455-5360.

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 nearly 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 by 2024, 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.

Follow America’s Moon to Mars exploration at:

https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars 

Follow NASA astronauts on social media at:

https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts

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

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

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SOURCE NASA