Students in Louisville to ask ISS astronauts questions this fall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some Kentucky students will get to ask questions of astronauts in space this fall.

NASA has selected Louisville as one of five Kentucky cities allowing students to speak to astronauts on the International Space Station on a special downlink in September.

Representatives from the Louisville-based National Stem Cell Foundation made the announcement at the Kentucky Science Center on Thursday. The center's education coordinator, Veronica Greenwell, said she has done this before, and it's an eye-opening experience.

"I was able to participate in one of these, and it really is an out-of-this-world experience. They'll find a connection -- some way they can ask questions that are important to them and to learn more about the research that they are able to do on the International Space Station," she said.

Questions will be submitted by students in 40 classrooms across 23 states. Those questions for the astronauts will then be asked by student representatives in Kentucky.

The downlink, scheduled for Sept. 12, will be shown in the Kentucky Science Center's theater.

The NSCF was awarded honor by NASA because of its National STEM Scholar Program, which empowers middle school teachers to get their students involved in science, technology, engineering and math.