SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Mrs. Bouchard’s third-grade classroom got a rare and thrilling visitor this week — from 250 miles above Earth.
In a special recorded message, NASA astronaut Dr. Jessica Meir, speaking from the International Space Station, greeted students who have been studying space and astronomy. “Hello, I’m NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, and I’m currently living on board the International Space Station here in low Earth orbit about 250 miles above the Earth,” Meir told the class, explaining that the station travels at “17,500 miles per hour — that’s five miles every second,” and orbits the planet every 90 minutes, producing 16 sunrises and sunsets each day.
Meir described life aboard the station as “awe-inspiring and so much fun,” and told students about everyday tasks that become unusual in microgravity — from scientific experiments and exercise to eating and even cutting hair. She also shared an extra personal connection: both she and Mrs. Bouchard are from Caribou, Maine. “Go Vikings!” she said.
As the crew prepares for upcoming spacewalks, Meir said she’s excited to return outside the station. “Doing a spacewalk is astounding,” she said, describing the experience of looking out at the “blackness of space and the Earth below through nothing but your thin visor.” She promised to think of the children during her spacewalk and asked them to “please send me a wave.”
The message — part science lesson, part inspiration — underscored Meir’s parting advice: “Keep on dreaming, studying, and working hard, and you could end up here or anywhere that you set your sights on, too.”
Mrs. Bouchard’s class has been following live feeds from the station as part of their astronomy unit, and the astronaut’s message offered a memorable boost to students’ curiosity about space and exploration.
Click here to watch the full video on the American Leadership Academy Sierra Vista's facebook page.
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