Sep 6 2017
From The Space Library
MEDIA ADVISORY M17-104 NASA Astronauts Back From Space, Available To Talk With Media
NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer, who returned to Earth on Sept. 2 after spending months aboard the International Space Station, will take part in a news conference to discuss their mission at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 11. The hour-long event will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
Media may attend the event at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston or participate by phone. To attend the briefing, U.S. media must request credentials from the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7. To participate by phone, media must call the Johnson newsroom no later than 10:40 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11.
Although Whitson and Fischer returned to Earth together, they arrived at the space station separately. Whitson launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 17 and spent more than nine months in space. She now holds the U.S. record for cumulative time in space, with 665 days in orbit during three long-duration missions. She originally was scheduled to return to Earth in June, but her mission was extended in March, thereby increasing the amount of valuable astronaut time available for hundreds of experiments she and her crewmates participated in. She also has spent the longest time in orbit during a single spaceflight – 288 days on this mission – than any other female astronaut.
In addition, Whitson holds the records for most spacewalks and time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut -- 10 spacewalks totaling 60 hours and 21 minutes. Whitson was the first woman to command the space station and, during this mission, she became the first woman to command the station twice – a position she held from April 9 through June 1.
Fischer launched to the space station on April 20 and spent 136 days in orbit on his first space mission, during which he took part in two spacewalks that total just under seven hours.
While living and working aboard the world’s only orbiting laboratory, Whitson and Fischer contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science, welcomed several cargo spacecraft delivering tons of supplies and research experiments, and conducted a combined six spacewalks to perform maintenance and upgrades to the station.
MEDIA ADVISORY M17-098 South Carolina Students to Speak with NASA Astronaut on Space Station
Students at Laing Middle School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, which is near Charleston, will speak with a NASA astronaut living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 10:20 a.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 8. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Col. Randy Bresnik is an alumnus of The Citadel, located in Charleston. He will answer questions from students at Laing Middle School. The school is hosting the event with the help of Citadel cadets and The Citadel STEM Center of Excellence. Cadets will lead the younger students as they pose questions to the Citadel astronaut alumnus.
Bresnik launched to the space station on July 28. He is expected to return to Earth in December. A Marine Corps veteran and member of The Citadel class of 1989, Bresnik is one of the college’s most visible principled leaders. In May of 2004, Bresnik was selected out of approximately 4,000 applicants to become one of the 11 members of NASA’s Astronaut Class 9, becoming the first graduate of The Citadel to have the opportunity to fly in space. Expedition 52/53 is Bresnik’s second mission to the space station, the first being in 2009. Bresnik is the commander of Expedition 53.
Media interested in covering the event should contact Kim Keelor at kkeelor@citadel.edu. Laing Middle School is at 2705 Bulrush Basket Lane in Mt. Pleasant.
The cadets will lead a two-part event for the eighth grade students, visiting the class first to teach them about Bresnik, the space station, how the live downlink works and conduct an in-class lesson related to the space station. On Sept. 8, they will lead the conversation with Bresnik, guiding the participating students as they ask questions that are expected to revolve around experiments which Bresnik is assisting, as well as space fitness. Middle school students across the South Carolina Lowcountry as well as cadets on The Citadel campus are expected to watch the event on NASA TV. A link to recording will be provided to other teachers wishing to show it in their classrooms.
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 math (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA Education’s STEM on Station activity, which provides a variety of space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators.
