Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum To Host Live Downlink With ISS for Students

The National Air and Space Museum’s “STEM in 30” program will broadcast its next episode Sept. 27 with an astronaut on board the International Space Station. A group of students at the museum will have the opportunity to speak with NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik through a live downlink as he orbits 250 miles above Earth. Classrooms around the country can watch the live broadcast at 12:15 p.m. on the museum’s website and NASA TV. This event is part of “ISS Science,” a collaboration between the museum and NASA to provide educational videos and lesson plans for students and teachers. 

“STEM in 30” is the museum’s fast-paced webcast series that engages middle school students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) topics in 30 minutes. The program features curators, astronauts and experts in the field to connect classrooms with real-world, relevant content. 

During tomorrow’s episode, Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik will speak to students at the museum and answer their questions. Bresnik, who launched to the space station July 29, will share what it is like to live and work in space. The episode will be moderated by “STEM in 30” hosts Marty Kelsey and Beth Wilson, and will include hands-on demonstrations of the concepts Bresnik discusses.

The “STEM in 30” team collaborated with Bresnik on a series of videos titled “ISS Science” that bring the excitement of space travel into classrooms across the country. Each video features Bresnik discussing life in space and a hands-on demonstration that connects these real-world activities to basic science concepts. The videos are designed for middle school educators and are accompanied by lesson plans. To learn more about “ISS Science,” visit https://airandspace.si.edu/iss-science.

The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Attendance at both buildings combined was 9.1 million in 2016, making it the most visited museum in the world. The museum’s research, collections, exhibitions and programs focus on aeronautical history, space history and planetary studies. Both buildings are open from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. every day (closed Dec. 25).

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