Thursday, June 18, 2026

NASA EXPRESS -- Your STEM Connection for June 18, 2026


NASA STEM Engagement

Send Your Name One Million Miles Away

Scheduled to launch Aug. 30, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will embark on a mission to study dark energy, exoplanets, and astrophysics.


Want your name to go along for the ride? Sign up to have your name uploaded to an SD card that will be attached to the observatory for its journey to a point one million miles away from Earth. The submission period closes Sunday, July 12.

Virtual Learning Opportunities

Watch Astronauts on the International Space Station Answer Student Questions

Event Date:

Thursday, June 18, at 12:05 p.m. EDT

Contact: JSC-Downlinks@mail.nasa.gov

 

Tune in to see NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams participate in a live, in-flight interview with students from Newton Public Schools in New Jersey. They will answer student questions and discuss life, work, and research aboard the orbital outpost.


Visit the In-Flight STEM Downlinks website for additional information and to learn how your school, community college, university, or organization can host a downlink.

Webinar: 3D Thursdays for Rural Educators – Growing Beyond Earth

Event Date:

Thursday, June 25, at 8 p.m. EDT

Contact: Rachael.Arens@ops.org

 

Join NASA’s Science Mission Directorate for a monthly series that connects rural educators to resources, networking, and professional development opportunities.

 

This month’s webinar will feature Jemma Peterson, the program coordinator for Growing Beyond Earth at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. Learn how your students can participate in real classroom plant growth experiments that help NASA study which crops may be robust enough for future space missions.


Click here to register to attend.

Make a STEM Connection: Summer Solstice

Sunday, June 21, marks the arrival of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Celebrate the longest day of the year and use the summer solstice as a spark for STEM learning with a printable puzzle, science explainer, and a shadow activity.

What Causes the Seasons?

Earth's Seasons

and the Sun

Tropical Solstice Shadows Activity

Visit the NASA STEM Search to find more activities and resources.

Higher Education Opportunity

Call for Proposals: MUREP Space Technology Artemis Research Funding Opportunity

Virtual Information Session:

Thursday, July 9, at 3 p.m. EDT

Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, Aug. 11

Contact: NASAMSTAR@nasaprs.com

 

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) is seeking proposals to accelerate academic research and technology development that furthers the agency’s priorities for exploring the Moon, Mars, and deep space. This initiative supports NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and seeks to strengthen eligible institutions as they grow their scientific and engineering capabilities, enhance faculty and student engagement across aerospace research, and expand their ability to compete for future federal and commercial research awards.

 

Full proposal and virtual information session details can be found here.

Partner Opportunities

Soar Together Family Day: Happy 50th Birthday, National Air and Space Museum! Event Date:

Saturday, July 11

U.S. Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program

Application Deadline: Monday, Aug. 3

Nurdle Patrol Citizen Science Project: Nurdles Kit for Teachers

Available Now

Want to subscribe to get this message delivered to your inbox each Thursday? Sign up for the NASA EXPRESS newsletter at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-express.


Are you looking for NASA STEM materials? Search hundreds of resources at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/search.


Check out the ‘Science for Everyone’ website! Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Visit https://science.nasa.gov/for-everyone. To view the site in Spanish, visit https://ciencia.nasa.gov.


Are you looking for more NASA prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing opportunities? Visit https://www.nasa.gov/get-involved/ to find ways to contribute to NASA’s work.

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NASA Office of STEM Engagement

We are engaging students in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities.


Visit nasa.gov/learning-resources/



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Scientist Pankaj

NASA EXPRESS -- Your STEM Connection for June 18, 2026

Check out NASA's latest STEM opportunities and learning resources. ...