Students from across the country 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 10:40 a.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 30, on NASA television and the agency’s website.
Astronauts Shannon Walker of NASA and Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) will answer prerecorded questions from pre-K and early elementary school students, who are part of the Noggin Kids community. Through the Noggin Cares initiative, tens of thousands of high-need, low-income families receive access to the Noggin educational mobile app and service at no cost. The app is designed for children aged 2 to 7 and their families to learn through tools including interactive games and online books.
The event will be held virtually. Content captured during the downlink will be available on Noggin and NASA’s YouTube in early 2021.
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 Satellite (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 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.
