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Students from the Lummi Nation School visited the 91̽»¨ in early February for a real-time conversation with astronaut Josh Cassada aboard the International Space Station (ISS). As part of a science project on the plant — a Pacific Northwest species that is significant in Lummi culture — seeds were sent to the ISS in late 2022. Cassada was the astronaut who worked on the plant experiment and germinated Devil’s club seeds to compare them to a similar plant of the same species on Earth.Ìý

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The Lummi Nation School students as well as students from the 91̽»¨had a rare opportunity for a live Q&A with Cassada (with a few seconds’ delay) about his life and current job on the ISS. The conversation was possible because of a “downlink,” which allows participants on Earth to see video and hear audio from the astronaut in space.Ìý

The event included presentations by 91̽»¨students, professors Emily Levesque (astronomy) and Gregg Colburn (real estate) as well as a panel with former Seattle astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger. It was hosted by the 91̽»¨and the a group whose mission is to enhance higher education opportunities for students seeking to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

More details about the event are . You can watch a recording of the downlink Q&A .

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