Live video chat with the International Space Station on April 29

Note to Reporters: Photo of Astronaut Steve Swanson on the ISS is available with this release at news.colostate.edu Credit nasa.gov.

On April 29, 2014, Colorado State University students, faculty and staff have the rare opportunity to participate in a live video chat with Colorado Astronaut Steve Swanson from the International Space Station.

The chat will be held 2-3:15 p.m. in Johnson Hall 222 on the Oval; the real-time link to the ISS goes live at 2:45 p.m. Arrive early to submit your questions, or email them in advance to kate.jeracki@colostate.edu.

Swanson graduated from Steamboat Springs High School, earned a bachelor’s in Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado, a master’s in Computer Systems from Florida Atlantic University, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Texas A&M. His son, Quinn, will be attending Colorado State University as an engineering major in the fall.

Swanson’s current mission as flight engineer aboard the Space Station is his third trip to space. In both 2007 and 2009, he helped construct the station, completing two successful spacewalks on each mission. He also performed repairs to a backup computer outside the station on Wednesday, with fellow NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio.

Colorado State is one of two schools chosen by Swanson for a student-focused educational interactive presentation; his alma mater, CU is the other. He is also scheduled to talk to students at Boise State in May.

The CSU video chat is presented by the College of Engineering, ISTeC, and the Division of External Relations.

-30-