NASA astronaut and STEM creator to connect with students for STEM Day

NASA announced that students across the country can connect directly with the International Space Station during a live, interactive in-flight call with astronaut Anil Menon and Mark Rober, a STEM content creator and founder of ClassCrunchLabs Foundation. The event is hosted by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement and celebrates National STEM Day.

According to NASA, the call will begin at 11 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 4. It will be available to watch on the agency’s flagship YouTube, with additional engagement across Learn With NASA channels. Menon will take questions about living and working in microgravity, becoming an astronaut, and technologies that make human spaceflight possible.

Rober will join from California and describe how curiosity, creativity, and hands-on problem-solving shaped his career from NASA engineer to STEM creator. NASA said the conversation will bring real-world science, engineering, and exploration into classrooms nationwide.

During the downlink, students will see the space station in real time as Menon demonstrates how everyday activities, including eating and experimenting, change in microgravity. The agency said the downlink supports its effort to connect students with authentic STEM experiences, build technical skills, and introduce aerospace careers.

NASA also announced a collaboration with the ClassCrunchLabs Foundation. The organizations plan to broaden access to STEM learning experiences by aligning NASA’s mission-driven educational resources with CrunchLabs’ hands-on engineering content. NASA said shared programming and outreach aim to inspire more learners to engage with science, engineering, and problem-solving.

National STEM Day is an opportunity to recognize the power of hands-on learning and to inspire the next generation of scientists, technicians, engineers, and innovators who will carry NASA’s exploration goals forward, NASA said. The event pairs Menon aboard the space station with Rober on Earth.