HAMPTON, Va. - NASA's Langley Research Center hosted an event Tuesday where Virginia students and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Alex Gerst on board the International Space Station got to speak.
First Lady of Virginia Pamela Northam served as the mistress of ceremonies. More than 800 students across Langley's five state region, including Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia participated in person or virtually. The student groups included the Boys and Girls Club, 21st Century Community Learning Center and From One Hand To Another, a Not for Profit Organization established by Pharrell Williams to provide educational tools needed for the future success of children.
"NASA Langley is incredible. To give these students the opportunities to really ignite their imaginations and to really engage their passions with learning opportunities like this is so, so important," the First Lady of Virginia said.
Students asked questions about what they wanted to know about life aboard the space station, NASA's mission and upcoming science investigations.
They asked things like, "What are most of the things that they eat?" and "How long did it take you to go into space?"
"We only have this one little oasis in a black universe, so we have to cherish it and really take care of it. That was my first thought when I reached space," Gerst said.
