Opportunity for Students to Speak with Crew Members Aboard the NASA International Space Station

The School District of Palm Beach County is partnering with the South Florida Science Museum to bring a unique and exciting experience to students who are in grades 3-12.  Select students and teachers will have the opportunity to speak with crew members aboard the International Space Station as it is orbiting over Florida during the week of October 22, 2012.  This space talk will take place through amateur radio. 

To select students for this 2012 NASA Mission Control event students and teachers will participate in an essay contest on the topic, “Why is space exploration important and what does it mean to me?”  Each school will select their most outstanding student and teacher essay to send to the South Florida Science Museum by Monday, September 24, 2012.   

The South Florida Science Museum’s panel of judges will include former astronauts, educators, scientists, and media from our local area.  They will select the winners (fifteen students and two teachers) who will participate in the Mission Control Event during the week of October 22. 

The winning students and teachers will also have the chance to be featured in local television broadcasts and newspaper articles and will be invited to a private event at the South Florida Science Museum prior to the Mission Control event.  

For more information, please visit the South Florida Science Museum web site http://www.sfsm.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.details&content_id=213.  

About the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) 

While aboard the International Space Station, crews participate in live amateur radio contacts, also known as ARISS contacts.  ARISS is a NASA Education activity that uses the unique environment of spaceflight to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  ARISS radio contacts last approximately 10 minutes and provide students and educators the opportunity to interact with crew members through a question and answer session. 

For more information contact Greg Goebel at (561) 357-1128 or via email at gregory.goebel@palmbeachschools.org or Kate Arrizza at the South Florida Science Museum at (561) 370-7706.

###

 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org