A rare educational downlink gave students a chance to ask Maine astronaut Jessica Meir questions about space as she works aboard the International Space Station.<\/p>\n
BRUNSWICK, Maine \u2014 The International Space Station orbits more than 250 miles above Earth, but for students at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, space felt a little closer to home Friday.<\/p>\n
More than 400 students gathered for a live educational downlink with two astronauts aboard the ISS, including Jessica Meir of Caribou<\/a>.<\/p>\n The last time a live event like this happened in the state was in 2020, making this a rare opportunity for students to connect directly with astronauts, according to staff with the Challenger Learning Center of Maine.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have you loud and clear\u2014we\u2019re so excited to be talking to my home state today! Go Maine!\u201d Meir said as students cheered.<\/p>\n For students like fifth grader Ronan Gleason, the experience brought their curiosity about space to life.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are there so many planets, and why haven\u2019t we found aliens when the math says there should be?\u201d he said inquisitively.<\/p>\n RELATED: Maine’s Jessica Meir selected for NASA expedition to International Space Station<\/a><\/p>\n The downlink was organized by the Challenger Learning Center of Maine, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting children to different careers in STEM through hands on space exploration experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we heard that Jessica was going up to the space station again, we knew we had to connect our Maine students with our Maine astronaut,\u201d said Kirsten Hibbard, executive director of the Challenger Learning Center of Maine.<\/p>\n Meir and fellow NASA astronaut Chris Williams answered questions about scientific experiments and discoveries, as well as how things work aboard the ISS.<\/p>\n “What do you think about the new species of bacterium that was discovered on the ISS?” Gleason asked. “I recently found out they had named this new species of microbacterium after me, Microbacterium Meiriae, so that was a really huge honor and quite a surprise,” Meir answered back.<\/p>\n Meir and Williams answered a variety of scientific-related questions while demonstrating the effects of gravity by floating around and tossing the microphone to each other.<\/p>\n ‘Everything around us is falling at the same rate\u2014that\u2019s how we experience microgravity,\u201d Meir explained.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was very cool because they would toss the microphone and it would go like \u2018wee,\u2019\u201d Gleason added.<\/p>\n Students also asked more personal questions.<\/p>\n “What is your favorite time of day when you’re in space?” one student asked. “What is your favorite place to see on Earth from the ISS?” another asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMy absolute favorite place to see from up here is the state of Maine,\u201d Meir responded.<\/p>\n With each question answered, organizers and teachers said a potential spark is created in the minds of students.<\/p>\n \u201cThey saw somebody from a small town in Maine floating above the Earth right now,\u201d Hibbard said. \u201cIt shows them that if they have the interest and drive, they can accomplish that too.\u201d<\/p>\n For Gleason, it’s a spark that pushes his passion for outer space to another level.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe someday commercial space flight will be cheaper, and I could go to space,\u201d Gleason said.<\/p>\n For more local stories continue with us on our NEWS CENTER Maine+ streaming app.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n