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An astronaut aboard the International Space Station is expected to visit with Jenks students in an educational question-and-answer session scheduled for Jan. 26.

Jenks Public Schools announced Wednesday that it has been selected to hold a live NASA downlink in which eighth-grade students will direct questions to NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough while students in classrooms across the district tune in to a live stream on NASA TV and the NASA website.

Kimbrough and two Russian cosmonauts launched Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in a Soyuz spacecraft and will arrive Friday at the space station, according to NASA. During the Expedition 50 mission, Kimbrough will be part of a team conducting experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and earth science, according to a news release from Jenks Public Schools.

Kimbrough and the two Russians are scheduled to remain aboard the station until late February.

In the weeks leading up to their visit with the astronaut, the eighth-graders will study earth and space science to gain a better understanding of scientific principles and cultivate a curiosity for exploration, according to the release.