Several hundred students across Puerto Rico spoke with NASA astronaut Joe Acaba aboard the International Space Station during his last mission in 2018. Students had the opportunity to ask questions about life aboard the space station, NASA’s deep space exploration plans, and doing science in space. To prepare for the event, students learned about the space station, and research and activities happening aboard the station.
Some 30 school districts took part in the Puerto Rico Institute of Robotics’ network, which works to link students, teachers, and the community with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) resources. The in-flight education downlink is a component of NASA’s Year of Education on Station, which provides space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators.
Before Joe Acaba was selected as an astronaut in 2004, he spent two years in the United States Peace Corps as an Environmental Education Awareness Promoter in the Dominican Republic. He also taught one year of high school science at Melbourne High School, Florida, and four years of middle school math and science at Dunnellon Middle School, Florida.
As an astronaut, Acaba has logged a total of 306 days in space on three flights, first as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-119 mission and twice aboard the International Space Station. Learn more about Joe Acaba at NASA.
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