A NASA astronaut and space station scientists will visit Philadelphia Aug. 12-13 to share the accomplishments and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station.

Astronaut Christina Koch will share her stories about what it takes to become an astronaut, her perspectives on space station research opportunities and the special vantage point over Earth that the orbital laboratory provides. Station scientist Kirt Costello and Center for Advancement of Science in Space’s (CASIS) Director of Commercial Innovation Cynthia Bouthot and Commercial Innovation Life Sciences Lead Jana Stoudamire will also participate in a public event.

On Saturday, Aug. 13, representatives from NASA and CASIS will share the wonders of the International Space Station at the Philadelphia STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Festival at the Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., 19103, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NASA’s Driven to Explore exhibit will be available for public viewing from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The mobile, multi-media exhibit immerses visitors in the NASA story and features a moon rock returned to Earth by the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Koch will speak to attendees from 12:10-12:15 p.m.
Additional interview opportunities also are available upon request. Media interested in interviewing NASA personnel should contact Isidro Reyna at 281-483-5111 or isidro.r.reyna@nasa.gov.

NASA will interact with the public via social media channels using the hashtag #NASAinPhilly. Social media users are encouraged to tag @NASA_Johnson, @ISS_Research and @ISS_CASIS.

For more information about the astronauts, visit:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/astrobio.html

For more information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about CASIS, visit:
http://www.iss-casis.org

For more information about Destination Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/destinationstation