U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, which oversees programs at NASA, hosted a live TV discussion on Monday between astronauts currently living on the International Space Station (ISS) and students at Smithson Valley High School in Spring Branch, Texas.
Charlie Duke, an Apollo astronaut, joined Smith at the high school for the Earth-to-space call. Duke is one of just 12 people who have walked on the surface of the moon.
Smith opened the discussion by telling the high school students how important it is that the U.S. continue science education and space exploration.
The discussion lasted for 15 minutes. High school students were allowed to ask U.S. astronaut Terry Virts and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti questions during the Earth-to-space call.
“For over 14 years, NASA astronauts have lived and worked on board the International Space Station, an amazing engineering achievement that is a partnership between 15 countries led by the United States,” Smith said. “The ISS is in orbit 260 miles above the Earth and is traveling at 17,000 miles per hour. It is roughly the size of a football field, including the end zones, and has livable space to allow six astronauts to live and work there. The Space Station is a laboratory to develop new materials and medicines that make their way into the commercial products we use here on Earth.”