Astronauts in Space to have Live Phone Call with Students at Great Lakes Science Center, Home of NASA Glenn Visitor Center

CLEVELAND — Area students will have an out-of-this-world phone conversation with International Space Station astronauts on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at the Great Lakes Science Center from 11:30 – 11:50 a.m. EST. The event is open to the public.

Crew members Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineers Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli will make the long-distance call to Cleveland and answer questions that students have prepared for in advance. James Free, Deputy Director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, will moderate the question and answer session. Visitors will be able to view the astronauts live on a 13 feet by 20 feet screen in the Reinberger auditorium and additional locations within the Science Center.

The opening program will start at 10:45 a.m. and feature a Big Science Show and an overview of the International Space Station.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center and the Great Lakes Science Center are hosting the long-distance call for students. General admission to the Science Center will be free for all youth 18 and under when accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver. The Science Center provides free general admission to youth 18 and under every Tuesday.

On the day of the call, visitors will also have the opportunity to see and explore hundreds of hands-on exhibits within the Science Center, NASA Glenn Visitor Center and the special exhibition Strange Matter, which focuses on the field of materials science.

Aeronautics and space exploration is one of Great Lakes Science Center’s core content areas and, with the designation as the official NASA Glenn Visitor Center, is positioned to provide the best space programming. The Science Center was selected as one of five institutions to host the downlink from a list of more than 30 that applied for the opportunity.

The live, in-flight education downlink is one of a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to enhance teaching and learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA educational program that promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of space and NASA’s human spaceflight program.

Reporters interested in attending the event should contact Jeff Hirz of Great Lakes Science Center at 216-696-3823.

NASA Television will air video from the space station during the event. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For directions to the Great Lakes Science Center, visit: http://www.glsc.org/visit/directions.php

For more information on NASA Glenn, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/home/index.html