barron_chari.jpg Astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari pose for a portrait with Roscosmos cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov. Credits: NASA

Cadets from the Nevada Civil Air Patrol will have an opportunity soon to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 11 a.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 4, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronauts Kayla Barron and Raja Chari will answer prerecorded video questions from the cadets. As the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol has served the nation since World War II with its all-volunteer force of more than 60,000. The cadet program aims to build the next generation of aerospace leaders through training and curriculum for students ages 12 to 18.

The event will be held virtually. Media interested in covering should contact Maryan Tooker at: 775-240-2456 or maryan.tooker@nvwg.cap.gov. 

This will be the first in-flight education downlink of the new year. In 2021, NASA hosted more than 26 downlinks between astronauts and students. See NASA’s video highlighting the nine most memorable downlink moments of 2021 at: 

https://youtu.be/O0o9NjpJDL4

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 aboard 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 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. Through 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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Press Contacts

Katherine Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1288
katherine.m.brown@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-8670
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

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