How NASA connects students directly with astronauts living and working in orbit

Space · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: NASA bridges the gap between classrooms and the cosmos through direct communication with the International Space Station. These interactions, ranging from public events in North Carolina to specialized educational programs at the Johnson Space Center, inspire students to envision themselves as the next generation of explorers bound for the moon and Mars.

The International Space Station serves as a unique platform for both scientific research and public engagement. NASA frequently facilitates question-and-answer sessions that allow students to interact directly with crews in orbit. For example, Expedition 30 crew members Dan Burbank, Don Pettit, and Andre Kuipers engaged with students in Durham, North Carolina, in April 2012 to discuss the realities of life and work aboard the station. These events are often tied to broader educational initiatives, such as the Destination: Station traveling exhibit, designed to bring the experience of space exploration closer to the public.

Educational outreach often features the role of educator astronauts, a program brought into focus by Barbara Morgan. Morgan, who served as a backup to Christa McAuliffe for the Teacher in Space program, continued her educational mission following the 1986 Challenger tragedy. In July 2007, she participated in events at the Johnson Space Center alongside the STS-118 crew, including Dave Williams and Scott Kelly. During these sessions, students queried astronauts on topics ranging from coping with family separation to the technical challenges of spaceflight, such as living 220 miles above Earth.

These interactions are intended to demystify the path to becoming an astronaut. Crew members like Williams, representing the Canadian Space Agency, emphasize that current students are the likely candidates for future missions to the moon and Mars. By sharing their own experiences—such as Morgan’s background teaching in McCall, Idaho—astronauts aim to show that space exploration is a tangible goal. For students like Justin Gorski, these conversations transform the abstract concept of space travel into a realistic career aspiration, reinforcing the idea that the next generation will be the ones to push human presence further into the solar system.

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