NASA To Host Its First Google+ Hangout With Astronauts Aboard The ISS

Later this month, NASA will host its first ever Google+ Hangout with the crew of the International Space Station (ISS). According to PC Mag, U.S. astronauts Kevin Ford and Tom Marshburn, along with the Canadian Space Agency's Chris Hadfield, will join the group video to chat about their life aboard the space station on February 22 at 11 a.m. EST.

A statement release by the space agency said, "This unique opportunity will connect you, our fans, with astronauts living and working on the orbiting laboratory 240 miles about Earth." The two astronauts and their Canadian colleague will discuss their lives aboard the ISS, including the science experiments and station maintenance they conduct, PC Mag reported.

"Their life aboard the station in near-weightlessness requires unique approaches to everyday activities such as eating, sleeping and exercising," NASA stated.

According to Mashable, viewers can submit a question by sending a video prior to the Hangout or ask questions via social media sites during the chat. In order to submit video questions, viewers must create a video of 30 seconds or less and upload it to YouTube with the tag #AskAstro before February 12, PC Mag reported.

However, viewers will have a chance to ask their questions on the day of the Hangout by using the hashtag #AskAstro on Google+ or Twitter or by posting the question on the NASA Facebook page thread that will become available on that day. The live Hangout will be available on NASA's Google+ page or on the NASA Television YouTube channel.

This isn't the first time that NASA has hosted a live video conference with the astronauts on the ISS. According to Mashable, the space agency joined the Canadian Space Agency to host a one-way video of Commander Hadfield with questions from "Star Trek" actor William Shatner.

For the first Google+ Hangout, NASA said that it will most likely choose the most "unique and original" questions. The Hangout will begin at 11 a.m. on Feb. 20 and will last an hour.