HOUSTON — NASA’s next space shuttle crew will answer questions submitted by YouTube users in both English and Spanish during the upcoming mission to the International Space Station. The crew is targeted to launch on the STS-128 mission in late August,
Questions may be submitted starting today at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ReelNASA
Several questions will be selected to be answered live from orbit by the crew during a special event that will be broadcast on NASA Television. STS-128 astronaut Jose Hernandez, one crew member who will answer questions, is providing insights on his training in both English and Spanish via Twitter. To follow him, visit: http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Jose
Shuttle Discovery’s 13-day flight will deliver supplies and equipment to the station and a new crew member. The station equipment includes new science hardware and experiments, additional sleep quarters, an air purification system and the COLBERT treadmill. Astronaut Rick Sturckow will command Discovery. He will be joined by Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Hernandez, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang.
NASA astronaut Nicole Stott will fly to the complex aboard Discovery to begin a scheduled three-month mission as a station resident, replacing NASA’s Tim Kopra, who will return home on Discovery. STS-128 is the first shuttle mission to feature two Latino astronauts among the crew. Hernandez and Olivas are both of Mexican descent.
For more information about the STS-128 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
For NASA Television downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
