photo by: NASA

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O'Hara replaces hardware inside the plant habitat facility to prep for future experiments investigating genetic responses and immune system function of tomatoes in microgravity.

UPDATE: This event has been rescheduled for 2:25 p.m. Feb. 9.

A NASA astronaut who’s a University of Kansas alumna is scheduled to speak from space to KU students and faculty next week.

KU School of Engineering graduate Loral O’Hara will host a Q&A session from her post on the International Space Station via live satellite link at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2. The public is invited to watch the event live; it’s scheduled to last about 25 minutes.

O’Hara, part of the ISS Expedition 70 crew, traveled to the space station in September 2023 and is due to return in mid-March, according to a news release Thursday from the KU School of Engineering. According to NASA, the astronauts and cosmonauts are studying an array of microgravity phenomena to benefit humans living on and off the Earth. The crew is also exploring heart health, cancer treatments, space manufacturing techniques and more.

Rick Hale, a professor of aerospace engineering who taught O’Hara when she was at KU, will moderate the Q&A session.

“Having a former student in such a high visibility position, when the odds of achieving such a position are so limited, is a tangible reinforcement to the professional development plans of current and future aerospace engineering students,” Hale said in KU’s news release. “Loral’s professional development path is a testament to what can be achieved with a long-term vision and focus. The opportunity for students to interact with her in real time makes the experience more real and brings the community closer.”

O’Hara graduated from KU with a degree in aerospace engineering in 2006. She was selected as part of the 2017 NASA astronaut class. She is the fourth KU graduate to travel into space, joining 1955 KU engineering graduates Joe Engle and Ron Evans and 1973 physics and astronomy graduate Steve Hawley, according to KU.

The public can access the feed to the live Q&A at the KU School of Engineering website.