UBC alumna and astronaut Jessica Meir to speak live from the space station
UBC alumna and NASA astronaut Dr. Jessica Meir will answer questions live from the International Space Station on March 26th.
Media are invited to attend the event, where UBC students will ask their questions live via a projected Zoom call.
Dr. Meir is the spacecraft commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission and is living on the International Space Station (ISS) for an eight-month science expedition.
Dr. Meir studied bar-headed geese at UBC as a postdoctoral fellow in the department of zoology from 2009-2012. To do so, she raised 12 geese from eggs, teaching them to fly by leading them around campus on her scooter, and in a wind tunnel while obtaining various physiological measurements in reduced oxygen conditions. These high-altitude flying birds show how animals on earth adapt to extreme environments, providing potential clues for how humans can better handle the rigors of space and spaceflight.
This isn’t Dr. Meir’s first time on the ISS: from 2019 to 2020, she participated in the first all-women spacewalks. She has also served as an aquanaut in an underwater habitat for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations.
Student questions were sourced via Instagram and those who submitted the top entries were invited to ask their question live.
Event: Ask an astronaut
Date/Time: Thursday, March 26th, from 10:20 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Location: Jack Poole Hall, Second floor, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, 6163 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Parking: University Blvd Lot, 6131 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC
Interview opportunities:
- UBC students
- Dr. Doug Altshuler, professor of comparative physiology, department of zoology
- Dr. Bill Milsom, Dr. Meir’s supervisor, professor emeritus, department of zoology
Event website: LINK
Assignment editors: Please RSVP to alex.walls@ubc.ca. Please arrive by 9:50 a.m. for camera set up. The event will start promptly at 10:20 a.m.
