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St. Paul Catholic School students to speak with NASA astronaut aboard Space Station
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February 3, 2023Contact: Sharmane Adams
Director of Communications
850.435.3528
[email protected]
PENSACOLA, Fla. (February 3, 2023) – St. Paul Catholic School students will have the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with NASA astronaut Nicole Mann aboard the International Space Station during a live 25-minute educational event on February 8, 2023, at St. Paul Catholic School in Pensacola. The event will take place at 1:15 p.m. CT. The public is invited to watch via livestream by visiting stpaulcatholicschool.net. Media who wish to attend the event are asked to contact Sharmane Adams by February 8 at 10 a.m. (*Due to the uncertain nature of spaceflight, the time slot could change).
Astronauts living in space are kept extremely busy as they conduct science experiments for the benefit of humanity and perform maintenance and repairs to the station that is orbiting 250 miles above Earth. The chance to speak to an astronaut live from space is rare, but a key priority for the astronaut corps —whether in space or on the ground — is to share their missions with as many people as possible. They do this to inspire and engage people of all ages and backgrounds, especially the younger generation, who are our future scientists, explorers and innovators.
According to NASA, 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 (STEM). For over five years NASA has been engaging with students of all ages from elementary to college level via the education downlink program. Only about 25 educational organizations worldwide enjoy this exciting opportunity annually.
“We are so excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity for our students! As a STREAM-certified school, we are always looking for ways to nurture our students' curiosity, awe and wonder of God's creations while enriching our curriculum through engaging, real-world experiences that inspire 21st-century learners,” Blair Hodge, principal of St. Paul Catholic School, said.
About NASA astronaut Nicole Mann:
Col. Mann is the first Native American woman to launch into space. A member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Mann serves as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which launched in October 2022 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. Mann was deployed twice in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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