NASA has announced that it will be arranging its first-ever Google+ Hangout to be held from Outer Space.
The interstellar event will be held on Friday, Feb. 22 from 11am to Noon (EST) and will allow the general public to ask questions of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station some 240 million above the Earth around which it orbits.
Google+ Hangouts allow up to ten users to video chat with each other "face to face." Users are required to employ the unique URL of the Hangout's "location."
With only ten Hangout-ers allowed at once, NASA is permitting inquiries to be submitted online by anyone interested in "speaking" with an astronaut in Space. Several of the questions will be chosen to be asked through the Hangout on Feb. 22.
The deadline to submit video questions is Feb. 12. Said clips cannot be longer than 30 seconds and must be uploaded to YouTube, tagged with #askAstro.
"Submitters should introduce themselves and mention their location before asking their question," said NASA on Thursday.
Though not every question will be asked, of course, NASA anticipates that "thousands" of users "tuning in" will watch this historical event take place. With this in mind, it will open a thread on its Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/NASA] the morning of the Hangout. Users can submit their questions there, as well.
The #askAstro tag can also be used to ask questions in real-time during the Hangout via Twitter, YouTube, and - of course - Google+.
For more information about how to view the Hangout, NASA suggests interested parties navigate on over to its Google+ page or the NASA Television YouTube channel. The fact that NASA also states in its press release that more information can be sought on its Google+ page about this and "upcoming" Hangouts, implies more such events are well on their way.
NASA astronauts Kevin Ford and Thomas Marshburn will answer selected questions about their six-month stint at the Space Station, most likely those - NASA anticipates - about how weightless life aboard might affect such routine activities as eating, sleeping, and exercising.
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who will also take part in the Hangout, is no newbie when it comes to online confabs from Space, as he famously engaged in a Twitter conversation with none other than "Star Trek" star William Shatner on Jan. 3, 2013.
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