Marietta Kids to Meet NASA Astronauts

Representatives from the NASA Johnson Space Center are visiting local schools throughout the week, including Belmont Hills Elementary in Smyrna and Harmony-Leland Elementary in Mableton. NASA astronauts will also be chatting live from space with local students Wednesday.

From 8 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, NASA representatives Janet Stewart and Regina Blue will be present in Mableton at Harmony-Leland Elementary School's Media Center, providing information and visuals to attract young students into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields.

After the Mableton event, area students will get to chat live with NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy as well as 35 crew members who live and work at the International Space Station (ISS). The chat will take place from 10:20 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Fernbank Science Center located at 156 Heaton Park Drive, Atlanta.

On Thursday at 3:30 p.m., NASA will host a “Dream Big” event in Marietta for Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, presenting about careers in STEM.

Belmont Hills Elementary School will welcome NASA representatives in Smyrna on Friday at 9:15 a.m to kick off the school's mission to achieve STEM certification. Activities performed onboard the International Space Station will follow the STEM presentation.

These exclusive events are part of NASA Destination Station Day Atlanta — a special campaign promoting how the ISS impacts life on earth.