NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins works inside the Life Sciences Glovebox conducting research NASA astronaut and Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Kate Rubins works inside the Life Sciences Glovebox aboard the International Space Station, conducting research for the Cardinal Heart study. The biomedical research seeks to help scientists understand the aging and weakening of heart muscles to provide new treatments for humans on Earth and astronauts in space.
Credits: NASA
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Shannon Walker of NASA discussed life and research aboard the complex as they answered pre-recorded questions Jan. 7 from students belonging to the Million Girls Moonshot Education Group in San Diego, California. Rubins arrived at the station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft last October followed a month later by Walker, one of four astronauts who launched to the orbital outpost aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle.
Students from across the country will have an opportunity this week to ask questions of NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 17:20 UTC Thursday, Jan. 7, on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
NASA astronauts Shannon Walker and Kate Rubins will answer prerecorded questions from students engaged in Million Girls Moonshot, an after-school program launched by the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and aimed at inspiring underrepresented STEM students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. The movement aims to engage 1 million school-age girls nationwide over the next five years in STEM learning opportunities.
The event will be virtual. Media interested in covering should contact Lisa Lederer at lisa@prosolutionsdc.com or 202-371-1999.
Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance, and interest in STEM. 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 land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 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:
See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
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Sean Potter
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1536
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-8670
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov