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Excerpt from NASA Planning Guide
Preparing Questions for the Crew
The host will propose a format for the actual on-orbit downlink. The typical format is a brief introductory remark, a question from a participant, then an answer from the crew. The question and answer cycle is repeated until downlink time expires. Hosts may propose that the crew conduct a demonstration (the NSEO Coordinator is available to provide more information on this option). The interview is usually conducted with all of the crewmembers. Participation is dependent on crew workload and availability.
Questions must be submitted to and approved by the Teaching From Space Office at least three weeks prior to the date of the downlink. There should be a minimum of 20 questions for a typical downlink. Due to time constraints, please be aware that not all questions may be answered. Questions, when submitted, should be in priority order. Select participants to ask the questions and provide participants with a printed copy (in large font) of the questions. During the downlink, position participants in question priority order a few feet from the microphone.
Please follow these guidelines when preparing to submit crew questions to the NSEO Coordinator:
- At the top of the list of questions, briefly identify the individual who will make the opening remarks and also provide a sentence or two about the audience.
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- Example:
ISS Downlink Questions
Pinewood Elementary School
August 15, 2007
Mrs. Lynette Jones, principal of Pinewood Elementary School, will make opening remarks. Students in the audience are grades K-8. Special guests in the audience include Congressman Don Brown.
- Each question should contain the name of the crewmember it is directed to and the name of the student asking the question.
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- Example:
For Clay Anderson: What experiments are you working on right now, and how do you think they will affect the people down on Earth? (Joseph Markson)
- The questions should be free of typographical and grammatical errors regardless of the age of the student asking the question.
- The questions should be realistic enough for the crewmembers to answer logically.
- Each question should consist of one topic only. If there is a second, related half to the question, it should be combined with the first half to form one sentence. For example, instead of asking "What is your favorite food?" "Have you eaten it in space?" Combine the questions to say, "What is your favorite food and have you ever eaten it in space?" This ensures that the student will ask both questions at once and not pause between them, causing audio overlap.
- Some questions may be edited or omitted based on content. If you need additional information on appropriate content, please contact the NSEO coordinator.
A host may choose to prepare a final message for the crew just prior to the conclusion of the downlink. This message must be submitted with the questions for approval.
