In recognition of International Education Week, International Space Station crewmembers William S. McArthur, Jr., and Valery I. Tokarev will speak to students during a live television event at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), 6560 Braddock Road, Alexandria, Va., on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will participate in the live downlink from Expedition 12, which begins at 9:30 a.m. EST. Media representatives are invited to attend.
International Education Week, Nov. 14-18, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of Education and State. This year, the theme is International Education: Improving Student Achievement Around the World. Established in 1895, TJHSST is dedicated to excellence in science, mathematics, and technology education. The school serves nearly 1800 students from six Northern Virginia school districts and has a strong foreign language program. Three of the questions posed to the space station crew by the students will be in Russian.
The event will be broadcast live on NASA-TV and Fairfax County Public Schools Red Apple 21 to all TJHSST students and to students in 240 Northern Virginia schools as well as more than 250,000 home viewers. Fairfax County Public Schools/Fairfax Networks is also providing direct access to the program via satellite to interested school systems across the country. Students around the world will be able to watch the downlink via NASA’s website.
NASA TV’s Public, Education and Media channels are available on an MPEG-2 digital C-band signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. In Alaska and Hawaii, they’re on AMC-7 at 137 degrees west longitude, transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal polarization. A Digital Video Broadcast compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder is required for reception.
NASA’s Teaching From Space Office coordinates downlinks for the agency. The office is part of NASA’s education programs designed to inspire the next generation of leaders and explorers, and engage them through the Vision for Exploration.
News media representatives who wish to cover this event and a media availability following the downlink with Deputy Administrator Dale, Secretary Spellings, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Jack Dale, and TJHSST Principal Elizabeth V. Lodal, must be in place no later than 9 a.m. EST
For more information about NASA’s programs on the Internet, visit:
For more information about International Education Week on the Internet, visit:
