Learn what it's really like to live in space — tune in to watch Space.com chat with NASA astronauts LIVE in space this Thursday (Oct. 21).
Are you curious what life is like for astronauts living in space? What science experiments they're working on? What's challenging? What's inspiring and rewarding? This Thursday at 1:05 p.m. EDT (1705 GMT) you can watch Space.com senior writer Chelsea Gohd chat with NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Mark Vande Hei who are currently on board the International Space Station.
You can watch their conversation live on Space.com or directly on NASA TV here.
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McArthur, with a background in both aerospace engineering and oceanography, was selected as a mission specialist in NASA's astronaut corps in 2000 and completed her first spaceflight in 2009 with the space shuttle mission STS-125. She next flew to space when she launched to the space station on April 23 as the pilot for SpaceX's Crew-2 mission.
The Crew-2 astronauts are expected to return to Earth in early-to-mid November after a brief handover with the astronauts of Crew-3 which is expected to launch Oct. 31.
Vande Hei, a U.S. Army veteran with a background in physics, was selected by NASA in 2009. In 2018, Vande Hei flew to the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 53/54. Vande Hei launched to the station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft in April ahead of Crew-2.
It is possible that Vande Hei will end up spending a full year in space living on the space station, which he has previously stated his excitement for.
"Honestly, for me, it's just an opportunity for a new life experience," he said ahead of his flight. "I've never been in space longer than about six months, so if someone tells me I got to stay in space for a year, I'll find out what that feels like. I'm really enthusiastic about it."
'ISS Live!' Tune in to the space station
Find out what the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station are up to by tuning in to the "ISS Live" broadcast. Hear conversations between the crew and mission controllers on Earth and watch them work inside the U.S. segment of the orbiting laboratory. When the crew is off duty, you can enjoy live views of Earth from Space. You can watch and listen in the window below, courtesy of NASA.
From NASA:
"Live video from the International Space Station includes internal views when the crew is on-duty and Earth views at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and Mission Control. This video is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. During 'loss of signal' periods, viewers will see a blue screen.
"Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below."
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