NASA astronauts Chris Williams and Jessica Meir will answer STEM questions from New Jersey students during a live Earth-to-space call from the International Space Station on Thursday, June 18, at 12:05 p.m. EDT. The event streams on NASA's Learn With NASA YouTube channel and is hosted by Newton Public Schools.
Williams and Meir will respond to prerecorded questions submitted by students, offering direct insights into life and work aboard the orbiting laboratory. The astronauts conduct research on microgravity science, materials testing, and biological experiments that inform future deep-space exploration. Their station duties include maintaining systems, performing spacewalks, and supporting missions like cargo resupply operations and crew rotations.
These educational events connect young people to active space exploration. Students witness firsthand how astronauts apply physics, biology, and engineering in extreme environments. The questions typically cover everything from daily life in microgravity to career paths in aerospace and the science driving human spaceflight.
The International Space Station serves as a research platform 250 miles above Earth, where crews from NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA collaborate on experiments with applications ranging from medicine to materials science. Public engagement through astronaut Q&A sessions helps build scientific literacy and inspires the next generation of explorers and engineers.
The live stream provides real-time audio and video from orbit, a capability that would astonish scientists from previous generations. This accessibility democratizes space exploration, allowing students regardless of location or background to interact with professionals conducting some of humanity's most advanced research. The event reinforces NASA's commitment to STEM education while demonstrating the practical value of sustained human presence in space.