Vande Hei '89 to conduct a far out interview - from space

Mark Vande Hei will be conducting a really far out question-and-answer session on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

How far out? About 250 miles above the Earth.

Vande Hei, a 1989 graduate of Saint John’s University, and fellow astronaut Scott Tingle will conduct a NASA Inflight Education Downlink session from 12:35-12:55 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, from their perch aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

College of Saint Benedict and SJU students are invited to view the session at Pellegrene Auditorium, Peter Engel Science Center, SJU (audience members are asked to arrive between 12:15-12:30 p.m.). Area middle and high school students have also been invited to the event. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Tickets are needed for the event. If you would like to be in the audience, please fill out the appropriate NASA media release form (adult or minor).

You can return the forms by email to Jim Crumley, professor of physics at CSB and SJU. You can also return the forms to Crumley at 107 Peter Engel Science Center, SJU. Please include an address for the ticket to be sent to. If your form is received after Friday, Feb. 16, the ticket will be available on a will-call basis at the event.

Students previously submitted questions to NASA for the session.

Vande Hei blasted into space Sept. 13 from Kazakhstan, Russia (Sept. 12 in the United States). Later that day, his Soyuz capsule docked at the ISS. Vande Hei is scheduled to return to Earth Feb. 27.

Back on Earth, Vande Hei will be the May speaker for Saint John’s ROTC commissioning ceremony.