Astronaut Nicole Stott Reflects on Lessons She Learned in Outer Space and How They Changed Her View of Life on “Spaceship Earth”

Nicole Stott had a remarkable career with NASA, logging more than 100 days in outer space.  Her time on the International Space Station drives her appreciation for the importance of cooperation across cultures and national boundaries.  On this Blue Sky episode, she describes lessons learned from her time as an astronaut, and the inspiring work she does today through the Space For Art Foundation, and her optimistic and solutions-oriented approach to life. 

 

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Nicole Stott 
This chapter introduces Nicole Stott, a retired NASA astronaut, aquanaut, engineer, artist, and author. It highlights her unique experiences as one of fewer than 600 people to have flown in space, her inspiration from her father, and her journey into aeronautical engineering after a personal tragedy. 

03:42 From Tragedy to Astronaut 
Nicole shares the profound impact of her father’s tragic death in a plane crash on her career path, explaining how it fueled her desire to understand how things fly, leading to aeronautical engineering and eventually NASA. She also touches on her ‘aquanaut’ experience, spending 18 days underwater as training for spaceflight. 

12:07 The Power of Optimism in Space 
Nicole discusses the ‘here’s how we can’ approach essential for space travel, contrasting it with pessimism, and emphasizing the importance of teamwork in an international setting. She details her missions on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, highlighting the global collaboration required for such complex endeavors.