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Anita Sohus of NASA's Museum Alliance sends word of an opportunity open to informal science education institutions. Details follow:

Summary: NASA is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host a live, in-flight education downlink during Expeditions 25 and 26. These unique educational opportunities are made available through Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office. The deadline for organizations to submit a proposal for Expeditions 25 and 26 is May 31, 2010.

Expedition 25/26 Downlink Opportunity Call for Proposals NASA is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host a live, in-flight education downlink during Expeditions 25 and 26 (approximately from September to March). To maximize these downlink opportunities, NASA is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the downlink into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is May 31, 2010.

Opportunity During Expeditions 25 and 26, crewmembers aboard the International Space Station, or ISS, will participate in downlinks. Downlinks are approximately 20 minutes in length and allow students and educators to interact with the astronauts through a question and answer session. A downlink is a modified video conference in which participants see and hear the crew members live from space, but the crew does not see the audience. Downlinks afford education audiences the opportunity to learn first-hand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space. Downlinks are broadcast live on NASA TV and are streamed on the NASA Web site. Due to the nature of human spaceflight, organizations must demonstrate the flexibility to accommodate changes in downlink dates and times.

Who Can Host a Downlink? Members of the U.S. formal and informal education communities, along with ISS international partners, are eligible to host a downlink. Examples include museums and science centers, local school districts, national and regional education organizations, and local, state, and U.S. government agencies. NASA provides this opportunity at no cost to the host organization. Downlinks support national education standards and initiatives.

What You Need to Host a Downlink To host a downlink, you need to receive NASA TV and have two dedicated telephone lines. The audio for the downlink is received through one telephone line, and the second telephone line allows NASA audio technicians direct access to the organization’s technical point of contact during the downlink. Video is received through NASA TV. NASA’s LIMO channel is the preferred way to receive the video feed.

Process and Deadline These unique educational opportunities are made available through Teaching From Space, or TFS, a NASA Education office. The deadline to submit a proposal for Expeditions 25 and 26 is May 31, 2010. Proposals must be submitted electronically to JSC-Teaching-From-Space@mail.nasa.gov. A committee will review all proposals and notify organizations of their status. TFS personnel will work with the host to plan the downlink.

Interested parties should contact TFS to obtain information related to expectations, content, format, audience, application guidelines, and forms by sending an e-mail to JSC-Teaching-From- Space@mail.nasa.gov or calling 281-244-7608.

Information about Expedition 25 is on-line at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition25/index.html

Information about Expedition 26 is on-line at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition26/index.html