Excel Academy Principle, Tenia Pritchard, introduces NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor to speak about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor presents a montage from Expeditions 56 and 57 to the students of Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor presents a montage from Expeditions 56 and 57 to Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor poses for a group photo after a presentation about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor listens as a student asks her a question about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor is hugged by students after a presentation about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS) at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor speaks about her experience on Expeditions 56 and 57 onboard the International Space Station (ISS), during an interview, at Excel Academy Public Charter School, Monday, June 10, 2019 in Washington, DC. Auñón-Chancellor spent 197 days living and working onboard the ISS and contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science while there. She is also a doctor and started her career with NASA as a flight surgeon in 2006. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Members of the Florida A&M University Program of Excellence in STEM attend a presentation June 21 during a visit to NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Office of STEM Engagement provided information on grants and student activities during the presentation about NASA Stennis and the work conducted at the unique federal city. The group also visited the Thad Cochran Test Stand and Relativity Space test complex during a site tour. The Program of Excellence in STEM summer academy aims to enhance student knowledge of opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Middle and High school students from Florida's Putnam and Volusia counties use a bicycle wheel as a gyroscope to simulate principals of motion during a science demonstration at the NASA's Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center. The 11 to 18-year-old students are part of Delta Academy and Delta GEMS, an African American women’s mentoring program affiliated with Delta Sigma Theta. The sorority uses their collective efforts to promote academic excellence, provide scholarships and support underserved students. As a part of the science program, the young scholars participated in a presentation by professional women who work at Kennedy discussing career choices and encouraging interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM careers. Photo credit: NASA_Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Middle and High school students from Florida's Putnam and Volusia counties use a glove box practice working with materials with protected hands during a science demonstration at the NASA's Center for Space at the Kennedy Space Center. The 11 to 18-year-old students are part of Delta Academy and Delta GEMS, an African American women’s mentoring program affiliated with Delta Sigma Theta. The sorority uses their collective efforts to promote academic excellence, provide scholarships and support underserved students. As a part of the science program, the young scholars participated in a presentation by professional women who work at Kennedy discussing career choices and encouraging interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM careers. Photo credit: NASA_Jim Grossmann

Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.