NJ Students Get Live Q&A with Space Station Astronauts

Imagine asking an astronaut what it's really like to float in space and getting an answer while they're orbiting Earth at 17,500 miles per hour. That's exactly what's happening for students in Newton, New Jersey this Thursday.

NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir will answer prerecorded questions from local K-12 students during a live Earth-to-space call from the International Space Station. The event streams at 12:05 p.m. EDT on NASA's Learn With NASA YouTube channel, giving kids across the country a front-row seat to the conversation.

Newton Public Schools is hosting the event to spark interest in space exploration and STEM careers. Students submitted their burning questions ahead of time, covering everything from daily life in zero gravity to the cutting-edge research happening hundreds of miles above our heads.

Williams and Meir are currently living and working aboard the space station, conducting experiments that benefit people back on Earth. They stay connected with Mission Control in Houston 24 hours a day through NASA's Space Communications and Navigation network.

Why This Inspires

For 25 years straight, astronauts have called the space station home, proving that humans can live and thrive beyond our planet. Every day they spend in orbit brings us closer to longer missions to the Moon and eventually Mars.

These astronaut calls do more than answer questions. They show young people that space isn't just something in movies or textbooks but a place where real people work right now, doing science that matters.

The experiments happening on the station today are laying groundwork for NASA's Artemis program, which will return humans to the Moon. Each student question answered plants a seed that could grow into the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

Thursday's call reminds us that the future of space exploration is being shaped by curious kids asking "what if" and "how come" right now.