NASA Digest, Vol 56, Issue 9

	January 12, 2018  MEDIA ADVISORY M18-010 Idaho Students to Speak with NASA Astronaut on International Space Station iss053e047057 (Sept. 26, 2017) --- Flight Engineer Joe Acaba installs botany gear for the Veggie facility to demonstrate plant growth in space for the Veg-03 experiment. The botany study uses the Veggie plant growth facility to cultivate cabbage, lettuce and mizuna, which are harvested on-orbit with samples returned to Earth for testing. Students from 10 schools in Idaho will speak with a NASA astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station at 11:25 a.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 17. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. Approximately 400 students will travel to Boise State University for the call to Expedition 54 astronaut Joe Acaba, who arrived at the orbiting laboratory Sept. 12. They will have an opportunity to ask him questions about life aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans, and doing science in space. Media interested in attending the event should contact Brady Moore at bradywmoore@boisestate.edu or 208-426-1586. The location of the event is 1910 University Dr. Boise State University was selected through a competitive process to host a downlink with the space station. Students in the participating districts have been preparing for the event by studying the space station, astronaut biographies, and current research and activities aboard the space station. Linking students directly to astronauts in space provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA's Year of Education on Station, which provides extensive space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators. Follow the astronauts on social media: https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:  https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
	Press Contacts Sean Potter Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 sean.potter@nasa.gov Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov

	January 12, 2018  MEDIA ADVISORY M18-009 NASA, NOAA to Announce 2017 Global Temperatures, Climate Conditions Climate experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will provide the annual release of data on global temperatures and discuss the most important climate trends of 2017 during a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EST Thursday, Jan. 18. The teleconference panelists are: Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York Deke Arndt, chief of the global monitoring branch of NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina Media can participate in the teleconference by calling 888-606-5912 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 415-228-4844 (international) and use the passcode "climate." Audio of the briefing, as well as supporting graphics, will stream live at: https://www.nasa.gov/live NASA and NOAA are two keepers of the world's temperature data and independently produce a record of Earth's surface temperatures, as well as changes based on historical observations over oceans and land. For more information about NASA's Earth science programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/earth
	Press Contacts Steve Cole Headquarters, Washington  202-358-0918 stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov Leslie McCarthy  Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York  212-678-5507  leslie.m.mccarthy@nasa.gov Brady Phillips  NOAA Headquarters, Washington  202-407-1298  brady.phillips@noaa.gov Katy Matthews NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Asheville, N.C. 828-257-3136 katy.matthews@noaa.gov