VIDEO: President Trump Congratulates Astronaut Peggy Whitson On ISS For Setting New Record
By NASA // April 24, 2017
First Daughter Ivanka Trump, NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins Joined The President In The Congratulatory Call
ABOVE VIDEO: President Trump Congratulates Astronaut Peggy Whitson On ISS For Setting New Record.
WHISTON FIRST WOMAN TO COMMAND ISS TWICE
(NASA) – President Donald Trump, First Daughter Ivanka Trump, and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins made a special Earth-to-space call Monday from the Oval Office to personally congratulate NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson for her record-breaking stay aboard the International Space Station.
The 20-minute call aired live on Space Coast Daily TV at 10 a.m. EDT Monday morning.
The Department of Education and NASA are working together, on behalf of the White House, to encourage classrooms throughout America to tune-in to this historic event.
They also are making available for voluntary use STEM on Station educational materials that may be helpful to further engage students in the classroom.
STEM on Station is comprised of education activities that follow astronauts as they demonstrate STEM concepts such as Newton’s Laws of Motion, surface tension and advances in technology.
Commander of the station’s Expedition 51 crew, Whitson officially set the U.S. record Monday for most cumulative days in space, surpassing NASA astronaut Jeff Williams’ record of 534 days.
Additionally, she is the first woman to command the space station twice, and holds the record for most spacewalks conducted by a female astronaut.
Related Story:VIDEO: President Donald Trump Signs Bill Authorizing Increased Spending For NASA, Mars Exploration
Whitson was joined for President Trump’s call by NASA astronaut Jack Fischer, who arrived at the orbiting laboratory on Thursday.
Whitson arrived at the space station Nov. 19, 2016, and is sharing her experiences in space on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook. Fischer will share his first-time flyer experiences on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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ABOVE VIDEO: President Donald Trump signed a bill into law recently that updates NASA’s mission to add exploration of Mars and authorizes $19.5 billion in spending for the U.S. space agency for the current budget year. (NASA video)
