Jul 15 2011

From The Space Library

MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-144 PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS WITH SHUTTLE AND SPACE STATION CREWS

HOUSTON --President Barack Obama praised crew members aboard space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station during a call to the docked ships from the White House on Friday. The president saluted the final shuttle mission and everyone who made it possible, and noted it "ushers in an exciting new era to push the frontiers of space exploration and human spaceflight."

RELEASE: 11-229 FINAL SHUTTLE CREW ANSWERS STUDENT QUESTIONS FROM SPACE EVENT TIME UPDATE

WASHINGTON -- NASA is updating the time for an event on Sunday, July 17, when space shuttle astronauts aboard the International Space Station will answer videotaped questions from middle school students. The event now is scheduled to air live on NASA Television at 6:24 a.m. EDT Sunday. During the broadcast, viewers will see shuttle Atlantis Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley as they respond to approximately 20 student questions selected from nearly 150 videos. The videos from students participating in NASA's Summer of Innovation initiative also will air during the event. The Summer of Innovation program seeks to advance excellence in summer and extended learning programming for underrepresented and underserved middle school students while inspiring them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The initiative also is tied closely to the White House's "Educate to Innovate" campaign. "Learning about scientific principles and the impact of space on astronauts' bodies helps spark student curiosity," said Cindy McArthur, Teaching From Space project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Microgravity is a unique research environment and hearing directly from astronauts who live and work in it can inspire students to study STEM disciplines." The question-and-answer session is part of a series with educational organizations in the United States and abroad to improve teaching and learning in STEM subjects. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, an agency program promoting learning opportunities, and builds partnerships with the education community.

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