This is But Why, a broadcast for curious kids.

I'm Jane Lindholm.

For seven weeks this spring, we're bringing our podcast to the airwaves for live radio

shows in collaboration with Vermont's Agency of Education to offer kids who are out of

school a chance for your own call in radio show.

And if you live in Vermont and surrounding areas, no internet connection needed.

Today we're going to talk about space exploration.

Next week on May 27, two American astronauts are headed to the International Space Station.

This is the first time in almost ten years that American astronauts will head into space

from an American launch site on an American rocket and spacecraft.

They'll be traveling in a SpaceX rocket.

Now it takes less than ten minutes for the astronauts to get into space, but much longer

to get to the orbiting space station, where they'll meet up with other American astronauts

and Russian cosmonauts.

So it seems like a great time for us to learn more about space exploration, and if you

have questions which we know you do because you've been sending us tons, send an email

to questions at butwhykids.org.

And we have a very exciting guest with us today.

Jim Green is the chief scientist at NASA.

He also has his own podcast by the way called Gravity Assist, and he's going to see if

he can answer all of your questions or at least most of them.

Jim, thank you so much for joining us today.

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