NASA has scheduled an Earth-to-space education event for Friday, Oct. 16, with astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney answering prerecorded questions from students in Florida. The session is set to begin at noon EDT and will be streamed on NASA’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel, according to the agency.
Sally Ride Elementary School in Orlando is hosting the event. NASA says it is intended for students in kindergarten through grade 12, as well as members of the community. The agency describes the program as an opportunity to build understanding of space exploration and introduce students to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly grouped as STEM.
The astronauts are expected to participate from the International Space Station. The questions will be prerecorded, rather than asked live during the broadcast, NASA’s announcement says.
Media representatives seeking to cover the event were asked to RSVP by 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 15. NASA’s notice directs them to contact Jenny Morgan by phone at (407) 858-3100 or by email at jenny.morgan@ocps.net.
NASA also provided context on the station’s role in the agency’s work. People have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station for more than 25 years, the agency said. Research conducted there supports scientific work that NASA says cannot be done on Earth and helps the agency study the demands of human spaceflight.
The station also supports NASA’s efforts to develop commercial activity in low Earth orbit, according to the agency. NASA links that work to planning for longer missions to the Moon through its Artemis program and, ultimately, to Mars.
The announcement was published by NASA on Oct. 14, 2026. The agency referred readers seeking information about its in-flight education calls to nasa.gov/stemonstation.
