NASA Digest, Vol 53, Issue 2

	October 04, 2017  MEDIA ADVISORY M17-115 NASA Provides Coverage for First Meeting of the National Space Council NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of the first meeting of the National Space Council starting at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 5. The meeting, titled "Leading the Next Frontier: An Event with the National Space Council," will be held at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. It will be chaired Vice President Mike Pence and include participation by acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, as well as a number of Trump Administration cabinet members and senior officials, and aerospace industry leaders. "We expect to come out of this meeting with a reinvigorated focus for America's space exploration goals that engages all the innovation of NASA and our partners, moves us toward national priorities, and excites people around the world," said Lightfoot. The council will hear testimonial from expert witnesses who represent the sectors of the space industry: Civil Space, Commercial Space, and National Security Space. President Trump signed an executive order reestablishing the National Space Council on June 30. Images from the meeting will be available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto Video highlights will be available to download at: https://www.nasa.gov/videofile
	Press Contacts Jen Rae Wang Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 jenrae.wang@nasa.gov

	October 04, 2017  MEDIA ADVISORY M17-118 Michigan Students to Speak with NASA Astronauts on Space Station NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik and Mark Vande Hei suit up aboard the International Space Station in preparation for one of three upcoming spacewalks. Credits: NASA Students at St. Mary Cathedral School in Gaylord, Michigan, will speak with NASA astronauts living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 6. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. Twenty northern Michigan students, grades preschool through high school, will be invited to ask the astronauts questions about living in space aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans, or any other topic that interests the students. For Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik, this is his second mission to the International Space Station. Bresnik launched to the space station on July 28 and is expected to return to Earth in December. Joe Acaba arrived at the space station Sept. 12 for his third mission to space. Bresnik and Acaba will participate in three spacewalks this month to service the space station's robotic arm and install new external cameras. Media interested in covering the event should contact Christie Perdue at 231-409-1214. St. Mary Cathedral School is at 606 N. Ohio Ave. in Gaylord. Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA Education's STEM on Station activity, which provides a variety of space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators. Follow the astronauts on social media: https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts For more information, videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
	Press Contacts Katherine Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1288 katherine.m.brown@nasa.gov Nicole Cloutier Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-989-3958 nicole.cloutier-1@nasa.gov