OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – Students from Choctaw Nation Head Start, Jones Academy Elementary, and seven area public schools in Durant, Oklahoma, are set to get a outer world experience this week in talking to a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

The space-to-Earth call will air live at 10:20 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 31, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann will answer prerecorded questions from pre-K through 8th grade student participants. The opportunity allows tribal students to connect and be inspired by Mann, who is the first Native American woman to fly in space.

Expedition 68 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Nicole Mann poses with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), also known as a spacesuit, aboard the International Space Station.
Photo courtesy credits: NASA

The event, hosted by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is an opportunity for students and tribal members to get a firsthand look at living and working in space, inspiring the next generation to pursue STEM.

NASA says astronauts living in space aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Near Space Network Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.

As part of Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station right here.