What would you ask an astronaut?

This is a question posed by Mark Arseneault, Louisiana Region 5 STEM Center director.

At 11 a.m. on Tuesday August 8, Calcasieu parish students, families and community members might hear some of those questions answered live by NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg and Frank Rubio.

The Region 5 STEM center will be hosting a live watch party as they answer pre-recorded questions from the International Space Station. A variety of topics will be covered, including a student-submitted question about “ice cream in space.”

This event was originally planned for the students attending Region 5 STEM Center NASA Astro Camp – designed to introduce students to “NASA opportunities, discoveries and future goals” – that took place in July, but due to a communication glitch between Johnson Space Center and the International Space Station, the event was postponed, Arseneault said.

The downlink will inspire students and introduce them to career paths that they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to.

“You can’t be what you don’t see. When students see and hear the astronauts answering their questions with ‘down to Earth’ responses, they will realize that they too can become a NASA explorer, scientist, engineer, analyst or even a marketing agent. The sky’s the limit.”

The session will be recorded, and the Region 5 STEM Center intends to use it as viewing material for field trip experience during the 2023-24 school year.

The watch party will take place during an open house at the STEM Center, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Information about the Region 5 STEM Center and how it supports space exploration education will be provided.

It will also include STEM activities, Esports and access to the Starlab planetarium. Most importantly, the pizza party will start at 11:30.

Registration for the open house is required, and can be found on CPSB’s Facebook page. Spots are limited.

For those unable to attend, the downlink will be accessible on NASA Television, as well as the NASA app and website at www.nasa.gov/nasalive. No registration is required for online viewing.