Florida students will ask questions of astronauts on space station: How to watch

Two astronauts orbiting Earth from about 250 miles above will take some time to chat with students in Florida from all the way in outer space.

A group of students in the Florida Keys will have the chance on Monday, July 14, to hear two spacefarers aboard the International Space Station answer their prerecorded questions, NASA announced.

It's not uncommon for astronauts aboard the orbital laboratory to take time to meet virtually with students around the U.S. when they're not busy conducting science experiments or performing routine station maintenance. Most recently on July 1, three NASA astronauts greeted students in Alabama during a similar conversation.

Here's what to know about the Earth-to-space chat, as well as the astronauts at the International Space Station.

Florida students to meet with NASA astronauts in space: Watch

NASA spacewalkers (from left) Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain work together at the International Space Station’s Port-4 truss structure to install a modification kit readying the orbital outpost for a future rollout solar array.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, whomade headlines in May forcompleting a rare all-female spacewalk, will be joined by Japanese astronautTakuya Onishifor a brief chat from orbit with students in Florida.

The event will be hosted by the Seacamp Association, which provides immersive marine science lessons for youth in Big Pine Key, Florida – an unincorporated area in the Florida Keys in Monroe County. About 60 students between the ages of 10 and 17 will participate in the conversation, the Seacamp Association said in an email to the USA TODAY Network.

The 20-minute Earth-to-space call is scheduled to begin at 10:05 a.m. ET Monday, July 14 onNASA STEM’s YouTube channel.

"The goal of the event is to help students make connections between astronauts training in space and scientists working in the sea," NASA said in a statement.

What is the International Space Station?

The International Space Stationhas been stationedin low-Earth orbit for more than 25 years, typically about 250 miles high, where it has beenhome to astronauts from all over the world.

The orbital laboratoryis operated through a global partnership of space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

More than 280 spacefarers from 23 countries have visited the International Space Station,including 169 from the United Statesalone, according to NASA. Bigger than a six-bedroom house, the outpost hassix sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window.

Who is on the International Space Station?

The seven-member Expedition 73 crew poses for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

Ayers and Onishiare among 11 people living aboard the International Space Station.

Both arrived at the orbital laboratory in March as part of a joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-10. Also on the mission is NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. That mission also made headlines due to its role in paving the way for the NASA astronauts who crewedthedoomed Boeing Starlinerto depart with the Crew-9 mission.

The Crew-10 spacefarers are all part of Expedition 73 at the space station, where they are spending at least six months conducting scientific research and working to maintain the station. Expedition 73 also includes NASA astronaut Jonny Kim,who reached the ISS in Aprilwithcosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.

Rounding out the orbital residents is the crew of a commercial spaceflight known as Axiom Mission 4.

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla of India,Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary reached the space station June 25 on a two-week mission and are due to return home in the days ahead, though a date has not been announced.

This article has been updated to add new information.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Astronauts on space station to talk to Florida students: How to watch