<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">Hi all,</font><div class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""> </font></div><div class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""> Good morning from Florida…I hope everyone is doing well…another new month, time is going so fast, I know I say this often but, for me, it is almost beyond comprehension…last year at this time, we were beginning to hear allot about the virus…I was on my way to Brazil for a 6 week adventure…I had never been gone more than 3 weeks so it was going to be a huge challenge…I left with the idea of one day at a time and to only focus on each day as I pass through it…little did I realize two weeks later I would be trying to get back to the USA as the pandemic was affecting the world in the most negative way. I am sure we can all think back to when we realized that this is serious as many people were dying throughout the world…looking back at what has evolved for us in the USA and internationally there seems to be some hope as vaccines are becoming more available and we gain more knowledge. Some States in the USA are removing all restrictions so we will have to see where this takes us….I am hoping, towards the end of this year, I can get back to visiting schools but that will depend on individual countries’ and school permitting visitors…</font></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans"; color: rgb(26, 26, 25);" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><font size="4" class=""><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans"; color: rgb(26, 26, 25);" class=""> W</span><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans"; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); background-color: white;" class="">e
have to stay positive and always be thankful…</span></font><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans"; font-size: large;" class="">
remembering to do our best, enjoy everything we do, believe in ourselves,
and let those we care about most know (I always say this, we all need to take
it to heart) …hugs & smiles... :-) :-) STAY SAFE, TAKE CARE, Love ya,
Gabe</span></div><div class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""> I hope you have been following along with the progress of Perseverance on Mars…I think the clarity and detail of the pictures and videos have been amazing…when we look ahead as it explores, performing so many functions will be even more amazing….then with the launch of the helicopter, Ingenuity, it will be even more spectacular…check out the info on the links below….</font></div><div class=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 38, 0); font-size: large;" class="">look at the stars in this video…this is what we would see in the night sky if it were completely black on earth….</span></div><div class=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media?thread_id=727084391&attachment_id=177320103955657&message_id=mid.$cAAAAACtWbWd-Id5AOV38Jj2ku9EK" class="">https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media?thread_id=727084391&attachment_id=177320103955657&message_id=mid.%24cAAAAACtWbWd-Id5AOV38Jj2ku9EK</a> </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 38, 0); font-size: large; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Montserrat, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.02em;" class="">NASA's Perseverance Rover Gives High-Definition Panoramic View of Landing Site</span></div><div class=""><div class=""> <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8873/nasas-perseverance-rover-gives-high-definition-panoramic-view-of-landing-site/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasa-mars&utm_content=20210301+-+Mars+Newsletter" class="">https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8873/nasas-perseverance-rover-gives-high-definition-panoramic-view-of-landing-site/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasa-mars&utm_content=20210301+-+Mars+Newsletter</a></div></div><div class=""><div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><h1 class="title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 2.2em; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.1; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><font face="Gill Sans" class="">Celebrating Women’s History Month: Most Recent Female Astronauts</font></h1><div class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="C275F8D1-E66A-4E08-BD59-206FDE6FEAC7" src="cid:A516B90B-2C36-4CE0-BEFE-8A3A14F46023" class=""></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">For Women’s History Month, NASA and the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">International Space Station</strong></a> celebrate the women who conduct science aboard the orbiting lab.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">As of March 2021, 65 women have flown in space, including cosmonauts, astronauts, payload specialists, and space station participants. The first woman in space was Russian cosmonaut <a href="http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=1097" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Valentina Tereshkova</strong></a><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">,</strong> who flew on Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. The first American woman in space, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/ride_sally.pdf" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Sally Ride</strong></a>, flew aboard the Space Shuttle STS-7 in June of 1983.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">Other notable firsts:</font></p><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;" class=""><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""><a href="http://en.roscosmos.ru/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Roscosmos</strong></a> cosmonaut <a href="http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=1187" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Svetlana Savitskaya</strong></a> was the first woman to participate in a spacewalk on July 25, 1984.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">NASA astronaut <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/jemison_mae.pdf" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Mae Jemison</a></strong> flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-47 mission in 1992, becoming the first black woman in space.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/helms_susan.pdf" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Susan Helms</strong></a> was the first female crew member aboard the space station, a member of Expedition 2 from March to August 2001.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/peggy-a-whitson/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Peggy Whitson</strong></a> was the first female ISS Commander, starting April 2008, during a six-month tour of duty on Expedition 16.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/four-women-astronauts-pose-for-photo-aboard-the-space-station" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">most women in space at one time</strong></a> (four) happened in 2010, when space shuttle Discovery visited the space station for the STS-131 mission. Discovery’s crew of seven included NASA astronauts <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/metcalf-lindenburger_dorothy.pdf" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/stephanie-d-wilson" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Stephanie Wilson</strong></a> and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (<a href="http://global.jaxa.jp/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">JAXA</strong></a>) astronaut <a href="http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/astro/biographies/yamazaki/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Naoko Yamazaki</strong></a>. The space station crew of six included NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tracy-caldwell-dyson" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Tracy Caldwell Dyson</strong></a>.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">Susan Helms shares the record for longest single spacewalk, totaling 8 hours 56 minutes, with fellow NASA astronaut Jim Voss.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition24/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Expedition 24</strong></a> marked a first with two women, NASA astronauts <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/walker-shannon" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Shannon Walker</strong></a> and Tracy Caldwell Dyson, assigned to a space station mission from April to September 2010.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">2013 astronaut class</strong></a> was the first with equal numbers of women and men.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Anne McClain</strong></a> became the first woman to live aboard the space station as part of two different crews with other women: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/serena-m-aunon-chancellor/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Serena Auñón-Chancellor</strong></a> in 2018 and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Christina Koch</strong></a> in 2019.</font></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">NASA astronauts <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/meir-u-jessica" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Jessica Meir</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-h-koch" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Christina Koch</strong></a> completed the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNnvYACgwrE" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">first all-female spacewalk</strong></a> in October 2019. They conducted two more spacewalks together in 2020.</font></li></ul><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" size="4" class="">Women have participated in scientific research on the space station since 2001 and have become an integral part of advances in the program. The second crew launch under the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Commercial Crew Program</strong></a>, currently scheduled for no earlier than Tuesday, April 20, 2021, includes NASA astronaut <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/k-megan-mcarthur/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Megan McArthur</a></strong>, shown here in Johnson Space Center’s Bldg. 5 Motion Based Simulator. McArthur holds a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of California, San Diego, where she conducted research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She flew aboard space shuttle mission STS-125, which improved capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope, still operating today.</font></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt26617700732_7eb61232cc_o.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Megan McArthur" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="BB951FFF-7BB5-4A2C-B1C8-02B2EC262CB7" src="cid:2B1DCE68-9BB5-419D-BC73-D9480E07A3DE" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">Here are more highlights from the scientific work conducted by women on the space station:</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">1. Shannon Walker, Expedition 24/25, 63/64</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/altiss064e025554_orig.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Shannon Walker" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="C5F909E5-F846-496E-98CD-3A1251B54CB6" src="cid:A73A3D2F-1665-4F00-9246-6814CEFBA046" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">On Nov. 15, 2020, NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/shannon-walker/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Shannon Walker</strong></a> launched to the space station aboard a SpaceX Dragon as part of the first crew under NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Commercial Crew Program</strong></a>. In this image, she works on the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7400" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">BioNutrients</strong></a> study, exploring ways to produce vitamins and other nutrients to enhance the crew’s diet in space. In 2010, Walker spent 163 days in space as part of Expedition 24/25. Walker has a bachelor’s degree in physics and a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. in space physics from Rice University. She began working in the space station program in the area of robotics integration, worked on avionics integration and on-orbit integrated problem solving for the space station in Russia, and served as deputy then acting manager of the On-Orbit Engineering Office at NASA prior to selection as an astronaut candidate.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">2. Kate Rubins, Expeditions 48/49, 63/64</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt_iss064e025418_orig.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Kate Rubins" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="D168462F-4A44-46EC-9285-93F9D5CF66B5" src="cid:250C408B-26BB-42A9-8679-2454CD7AE29B" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">After spending three months aboard the space station in 2016, NASA astronaut <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/kathleen-rubins/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Kate Rubins</a></strong> returned in October 2020. On her first flight, Rubins successfully sequenced DNA in microgravity for the first time as part of the <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1917" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Biomolecule Sequencer</a></strong> experiment. She continues that work on her current mission and is shown here working on an experiment that uses sequencing as a tool to diagnose medical conditions and identify microbes. Rubins received a degree in molecular biology from the University of California, San Diego, and a Ph.D. in cancer biology from Stanford University Medical School, then headed a research lab studying viral diseases in Africa, traveling there to conduct research and supervise study sites.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">3. Jessica Meir, Expedition 61, 62</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt17_iss061e014149.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Jessica Meir watering plants inside the space station" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="9964E77B-9834-4D95-B099-664F08C65BB9" src="cid:122869C7-6C7E-4545-A9D1-AE84D000B3FD" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">NASA astronaut <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/meir-u-jessica" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Jessica Meir</a></strong> launched to the space station in Sept. 2019, returning to Earth in April 2020. In Oct. 2019, she completed the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Christina Koch; the duo conducted two more spacewalks together in 2020. Meir holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown University, a master’s degree in space studies from the International Space University, and a doctorate in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. In this photo, Meir waters the plant pillows of Mizuna mustards greens aboard the space station as part of the <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7895" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Veg-04B experiment</a></strong>. This study is part of a phased research project to address the need to produce fresh food in space and focuses on the effects of light quality and fertilizer on a leafy crop.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">4. Christina Koch, Expedition 59, 60, 61</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt5_iss060e053892.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Christina Koch using a microscope inside the space station" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="53C7EFD5-03F0-4675-BA0C-7C935F715947" src="cid:6E992C4A-F4F1-4C98-9718-65FE725262F1" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/christina-hammock-koch/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Christina Koch</strong></a> spent 328 consecutive days in microgravity in 2019 and 2020, setting the record for the longest duration in space for a woman during a single mission. During that time, she worked on hundreds of experiments, including studies of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7977" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">protein crystals</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7895" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">plants in space</strong></a>. She participated in a number of studies to support future exploration missions, including research into how the human body adjusts to weightlessness, isolation, radiation, and the stress of long-duration spaceflight. Koch earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and worked at NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Goddard Space Flight Center’s</strong></a> Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics. There she contributed to scientific instruments on several missions studying cosmology and astrophysics. Koch served as station chief of the American Samoa Observatory and has contributed to the development of instruments used to study radiation particles for the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Juno</strong></a> mission and the Van Allen Probe.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">5. Anne McClain, Expedition 57/58, 59</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt2_iss058e010751.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="NASA astronaut Anne McClain inside the cupola window area, with earth visible in the background" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="E86EE11C-4D53-4461-9675-C1482BAF0420" src="cid:1CCC758F-C85A-4F7E-A202-71D4FEEF9A4E" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">During her first spaceflight from Dec. 2018 to June 2019, NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/anne-c-mcclain/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Anne McClain</strong></a> collects samples for <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1673" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Marrow</strong></a>, a long-term investigation into the negative effects of microgravity on the bone marrow and blood cells it produces. The investigation may lead to the development of strategies to help prevent these effects in future space explorers as well as for people on Earth who experience prolonged bed rest. A native of Spokane, Washington, McClain earned master’s degrees in aerospace engineering and international relations. She holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as an Army Aviator, with more than 2,000 flight hours in 20 different aircraft.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">6. Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, Expedition 56/57</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt3_iss056e078402.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="Serena Auñón-Chancellor conducts research operations for the AngieX Cancer Therapy inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="A096A5F5-FAB0-49DE-A3D9-7C19472C50B1" src="cid:FBC651A2-CCF0-4228-A1C5-5A08F51A4453" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/serena-m-aunon-chancellor/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Serena Auñón-Chancellor</strong></a> conducts research operations for the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7502" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">AngieX</strong></a> Cancer Therapy investigation inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=341" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">MSG)</strong></a>. This research may facilitate a cost-effective drug testing method and help develop safer and more effective vascular-targeted treatments. She spent 197 days in space during her first space mission from June to December 2018. As a NASA Flight Surgeon, Auñón-Chancellor spent more than nine months in Russia supporting medical operations for International Space Station crew members. She has a degree in electrical engineering from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and a doctorate of medicine from The University of Texas - Health Science Center at Houston and is board certified in Internal and Aerospace Medicine.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">7. Peggy Whitson, Expeditions 5, 16, 50, 51/52</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt4_iss052e061925.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="Astronaut Peggy Whitson is photographed working with the Genes In Space-3 experiment " title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="56B0FE79-2E83-4A53-9ED8-95E814FA877F" src="cid:6053EDE2-0BAC-45CC-B011-3E3913D8EAC8" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/peggy-a-whitson/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Peggy Whitson</strong></a> holds numerous spaceflight records accumulated during her three long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station, including the U.S. record for cumulative time in space – 665 days. She has tied the record for the most spacewalks for any U.S. astronaut and holds the record for the most spacewalk time for female space travelers. She also served as the first science officer aboard the space station, the first female commander of the space station, and the first woman to be station commander on two different missions. During her time on Earth, she also is the only woman to serve as chief of the astronaut office. Whitson earned a bachelor of science in biology/chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College and a doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University. In this photo, she works on the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7448" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Genes in Space-3</strong></a> experiment, which completed the first-ever sample-to-sequence process entirely aboard the International Space Station. This innovation makes it possible to identify microbes in real time without having to send samples back to Earth, a revolutionary step for microbiology and space exploration.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">8. Samantha Cristoforetti, Expedition 42/43</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt6_iss042e341652.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti conducts the SPHERES-Vertigo investigation in the Japanese Experiment Module " title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="E324D2DC-FA96-4E2A-8F9D-C4FEF38F2D73" src="cid:7D020A27-85AB-4EB6-8D50-6BF5031C5519" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">The first Italian woman in space, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Samantha Cristoforetti</strong></a> conducts the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=848" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">SPHERES-Vertigo</strong></a> investigation in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). The investigation uses free-flying satellites to demonstrate and test technologies for visual inspection and navigation in a complex environment. During her first mission from November 2014 to June 2015, Cristoforetti set the single-mission duration record (199 days) for all ESA astronauts. Cristoforetti has been assigned a second mission to the International Space Station. She is currently in training for this mission, which is scheduled for 2022. Cristoforetti recently participated in the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mediacast/our-laboratory-in-space" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Curious Universe</strong></a> podcast, talking about scientific investigations on the space station. She holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Technische Universität, Munich, Germany, writing her thesis on solid rocket propellants during a 10-month research stay at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Moscow, Russia. She also completed a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical sciences at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">9. Elena Serova, Expedition 41/42</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt7_iss041e042434.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="Elena Serova works with the bioscience experiment ASEPTIC in the Russian Glavboks (Glovebox)." title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="05025A6E-5434-414E-BF88-BA1D9FDD2763" src="cid:6677862C-EE27-4833-9CD9-951C663AE66D" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">Cosmonaut <a href="http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=209" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Elena Serova</strong></a>, the first Russian woman to visit the space station on a flight from September 2014 to March 2015, works with the bioscience experiment <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1226" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">ASEPTIC</strong></a> in the Russian Glavboks (Glovebox). The investigation assessed the reliability and efficiency of methods and equipment for assuring aseptic or sterile conditions for biological investigations performed on the space station. She graduated from the aerospace department of the Moscow Aviation Institute as a test engineer, Moscow State Academy of Instrument-Making and information as an economist, and completed a postgraduate course at the Energia Rocket Space Corporation.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">10. </strong><b style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Karen Nyberg, STS-124, Expedition 36/37</b></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt8_iss036e020966.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="Nyberg in JEM (Kibo) with MSPR fluorescence microscope. " title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="9322814A-C583-4A16-92E2-462AECE4DB60" src="cid:284309F3-B77F-4C22-8102-E6AEA5E4B1A9" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/karen-l-nyberg/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Karen Nyberg</strong></a> sets up the Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=1090" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">MSPR</strong></a>) fluorescence microscope in the space station’s Kibo laboratory during her second spaceflight aboard the space station. The MSPR has two workspaces and a table used for a wide variety of microgravity science investigations and educational activities. During her first spaceflight in 2008 aboard space shuttle Discovery delivering the Japanese Experiment Module to the station, she became the 50<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 10.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; top: -0.5em;" class="">th</span> woman in space. The Minnesota native earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota and a master of science and doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Her graduate research investigated human thermoregulation and experimental metabolic testing and control, specifically related to the thermal control in space suits.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">11. Sunita Williams, Expeditions 14/15, 32/33</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt9_iss032e025274.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Sunita Williams appears to touch the bright sun during the mission?s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) " title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="D101C832-554B-4732-957A-0EC52FA0F824" src="cid:DC75F689-A8D6-4F39-B031-5AEFAFA1F81D" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">This spacewalk by NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/sunita-l-williams/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Sunita Williams</strong></a> and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Aki Hoshide, reflected in Williams’ helmet visor, lasted six hours and 28 minutes, during her second long-duration spaceflight in 2012. They completed installation of a main bus switching unit (MBSU) and installed a camera on the International Space Station’s robotic <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/remote-manipulator-system-canadarm2" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Canadarm2</strong></a>. Williams participated in seven spacewalks and was the second woman ever to be commander of the space station. She also is the only person ever to have <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/exp14_boston_marathon.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">run a marathon while in space</strong></a>. She flew in both the space shuttle and Soyuz, and her next assignment is to fly a new spacecraft: the Boeing CST-100 Starliner during its <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-assigns-crews-to-first-test-flights-missions-on-commercial-spacecraft/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">first operational mission</strong></a> for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master of science in engineering management at Florida Institute of Technology. As a naval aviator, she logged more than 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">12. Cady Coleman, Expeditions 26/27</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt10_512290main_iss026e018751_1600_946-710.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="astronaut Catherine Coleman working with capillary tubes filled with fluid for testing" title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="13B98BE7-A253-4548-B9A2-2A6FF38926D8" src="cid:19AF7C70-AE90-4688-8542-03A11F432028" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">Working on the Capillary Flow Experiment (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=951" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">CFE</strong></a>), NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/coleman.pdf" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Catherine (Cady) Coleman</strong></a> performs a Corner Flow 2 (ICF-2) test. CFE observes the flow of fluid in microgravity, in particular capillary or wicking behavior. Coleman earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts and received a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. As a participant in physiological and equipment studies for the Armstrong Aeromedical Laboratory, she set several endurance and tolerance records. Coleman flew two missions aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-73 and STS-93 and spent 159 days in space for her long-duration space station mission to log more than 4,330 total hours in space.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">13. </strong><b style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Tracy Caldwell Dyson, STS-118, Expedition 24</b></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt11_iss023e030740.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="Dyson works with IVGEN Experiment Payload in Columbus MSG " title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="CF0A7413-70E7-4FF5-94D4-00DBA7CC31AC" src="cid:1C9B3DE0-DD7F-4569-B8B2-F67B741A38C6" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a href="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""></a></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">A system to purify water for use in intravenous administration of saline would make it possible to better treat ill or injured crew members on future long-duration space missions. The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=689" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">IVGEN</strong></a> investigation demonstrates hardware to provide that capability. NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tracy-caldwell-dyson/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Tracy Caldwell Dyson</strong></a> sets up the experiment hardware in the station’s Microgravity Science Glovebox (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=341" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">MSG</strong></a>) during her long-duration 2010 mission. As noted above, she and Shannon Walker were part of the first space station crew with more than one woman. She has a degree in chemistry from California State University Fullerton, where she competed in track and field, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Davis. At UC Davis, she designed and built peripheral components for a variable temperature, ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy system.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">14. Stephanie Wilson, STS-120, STS-121, STS-131</strong></p><div class="type-image dnd-atom-wrapper context-full_width" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: table; margin: 0px auto 2em;"><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/alt13_s131e010680.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" alt="View of Stephanie Wilson as she works to unpack a Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator II (MERLIN) " title="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px;" apple-inline="yes" id="5C766265-0864-4524-8BBA-E2EFEEE530A0" src="cid:F6407A74-9E1F-4931-AC03-7A101E63B24D" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 11px;"><div class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div><div class="credits" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></div><div class="link" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: inherit; background-size: inherit; background-attachment: inherit; background-origin: inherit; background-clip: inherit; padding: 0px;"></div></div></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">NASA astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/stephanie-d-wilson/biography" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Stephanie Wilson</strong></a> unpacks a Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator II (<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=29" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">MERLIN</strong></a>) in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Part of the Cold Stowage Fleet of hardware, MERLIN provides a thermally controlled environment for scientific experiments and cold stowage for transporting samples to and from the space station. Currently serving as branch chief for crew mission support in the Astronaut Office, Wilson logged more than 42 days in space on three missions on the space shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System (STS). She earned a degree in engineering science from Harvard University and a master’s in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Wilson also served as a member of the 2009, 2013, and 2017 Astronaut Selection Boards.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class="">Learn more about the station’s history of crew members <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/index.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">here</a></strong>. For daily updates on the science happening aboard the space station, follow @<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://twitter.com/ISS_Research" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">ISS_Research</a></strong>, <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/stationresearchnews" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Space Station Research and Technology News</a></strong>, or <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ISS" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">our Facebook</a></strong>. For opportunities to see the space station pass over your town, check out <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><a href="http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class="">Spot the Station</a></strong>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.4em;" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><em style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Melissa Gaskill </em></strong><strong style="font-size: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><em style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">International Space Station Program Science Office </em></strong><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html" target="_blank" style="font-size: 1em; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(66, 139, 202);" class=""><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><em style="box-sizing: border-box;" class="">Johnson Space Center</em></strong></a></p><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><font face="Gill Sans" style="font-size: 31px;" class="">Vice President Kamala Harris Calls NASA Astronaut Victor Glover </font></b><table align="center" width="687" cellpadding="1" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(190, 191, 185); vertical-align: baseline; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; width: 708px; font-size: 0.923em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><tr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); vertical-align: middle; font-size: 14px;" class=""><div class="dnd-drop-wrapper" style="margin: 0px 0px 9px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/thumb_no_text_horizontal.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class=""><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/thumb_no_text_horizontal.png" width="687px" height="auto" alt="View through the International Space Station Cupola" title="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""></a></div><div class="dnd-legend-wrapper" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="title" display="none" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thumb_no_text_horizontal.png</div><div class="caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 10px;">View from the International Space Station Cupola Observational Module</div><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><div class="credits" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 10px;">Credits: NASA</div></i></b><div class="link" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="#" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); font-size: 10px;" class=""></a></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class="">In celebration of Black History Month, NASA astronaut Victor Glover welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris to the International Space Station for a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A58krE7bBE&feature=youtu.be" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class="">virtual chat</a>.</p><div style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class="">In the video recorded Feb. 24 and shared Saturday, the conversation ranged from the legacy of human spaceflight to observing Earth from the vantage of the space station, Glover’s history-making stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, and preparing for missions from the Moon to Mars.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class=""><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/victor-j-glover" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class="">Victor Glover</a> is a long-duration crew member on the International Space Station. He served as the Crew Dragon pilot and second-in-command for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. Glover is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class="">Selected as an astronaut in 2013, the California native holds a Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering from California Polytechnic State University, a Master of Science degree in flight test engineering and a master’s degree military operational art and science from Air University, and a Master of Science degree in systems engineering from Naval Postgraduate School. Glover is a naval aviator and was a test pilot in the F/A‐18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA‐18G Growler aircraft. Follow Glover on <a href="https://twitter.com/VicGlover" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class="">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/astrovicglover/?hl=en" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class="">Instagram</a>.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class="">For <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/station20" target="_blank" title="https://www.nasa.gov/station20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class="">more than 20 years</a>, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 242 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas. The space station remains the springboard to America's Moon to Mars exploration approach, including Artemis missions to the Moon to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class="">For more information about the International Space Station, its research, and its crew, please visit:</p><p align="center" style="margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;" class=""><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/station" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 116, 189); text-decoration: none;" class="">http://www.nasa.gov/station</a></strong></p><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><h1 style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 34px; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Rare red sprite and blue jet create otherworldly light show above Hawaii</h1><div class=""><img alt="Rare red sprite and blue jet create otherworldly light show above Hawaii" border="0" class="deviceWidth" style="object-fit:cover; overflow:hidden;" apple-inline="yes" id="063854A9-CA55-4BD1-AC6B-EF72776896CC" src="cid:A4699117-E1E0-447D-901A-3B6409635372"></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><p style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Sprites and jets are fleeting atmospheric phenomena, hard enough to witness, let alone photograph. </p><div id="ad-unit-1" class="ad-unit" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"></div><p style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">But a new image from an observatory in Hawaii captures both a red sprite and a blue jet in the same shot. The photo, <a href="https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2108a/" data-url="https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2108a/" data-component-tracked="1" class="hawk-link-parsed" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(2, 108, 162); text-decoration: none;"><u style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">released on Feb. 24</u></a>, comes courtesy a "cloud cam" at the Gemini North telescope, part of the International Gemini Observatory located on Maunakea. </p><aside class="hawk-placeholder" data-render-type="fte" data-skip="dealsy" data-widget-type="seasonal" data-viewports="mobile" data-widget-id="5014354204262189000" data-result="missing" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; 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--user-input-color: #c1c1c1; --user-input-hover-color: #535353; --user-input-input-background: #f2f2f2; --user-input-input-error-color: #838383; --radio-button-color: #c1c1c1; --checkbox-color: #c1c1c1; --range-filter-shadow-color: #a9a9a9; --range-filter-background-color: var(--site-color); --pre-order-promise-color: #aaa; --merchant-link-mona-background-color: var(--site-color); --merchant-link-mona-text-color: inherit; --mona-site-font-family: inherit; --mona-widget-extra-background: #a5a5a5; --mona-widget-extra-backgound-hover: #a5a5a5; --shop-filter-button-background-color: var(--trd-blue); --shop-filter-button-text-color: var(--white); --pagination-button-selected-background-color: var(--trd-blue); --deal-widget-border-color: #ddd; --deal-hero-promo-background: #e6248a; --deal-hero-promo-color: #fff; --deal-hero-promo-background-progressive: transparent; --deal-hero-promo-color-progressive: #d21f26; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"></aside><p style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Sprites and jets are upper-atmospheric phenomena caused by electrical discharges. Sprites, which are typically reddish-orange and sometimes blue-green, occur in the mesosphere, between 30 and 50 miles (50 and 80 kilometers) in altitude. They're often triggered by regular, lower-altitude lightning, but are much cooler in temperature. They're also sometimes shaped like jellyfish. Blue jets also occur at high altitude, triggered by a discharge of electricity from the positively-charged upper portion of a storm cloud to the negatively-charged cloud top, according to a paper published Jan. 20 in the journal <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=92X1590019&xcust=livescience_us_6823502523848045000&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41586-020-03122-6&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livescience.com%2Fred-sprite-blue-jet-lightning-image-hawaii.html%3Futm_source%3DSelligent%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DLST_Newsletter%26utm_content%3DLST_Newsletter%2B%26utm_term%3D2868862" data-url="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03122-6" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-component-tracked="1" data-merchant-name="SkimLinks - nature.com" data-hl-processed="skimlinks" class="hawk-link-parsed" data-custom-tracking-id="6823502523848045000" data-hawk-tracked="hawklinks" data-label="Nature" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(2, 108, 162); text-decoration: none;"><u style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Nature</u></a>. They typically appear as blue streamers shooting spaceward. </p><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><header style="font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; margin: 30px 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: visible; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class=""><h1 style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 34px; font-size: 28px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Cosmologists create 4,000 virtual universes to solve Big Bang mystery</h1><div class="byline-social" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 23px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both;" class="">By <span class="no-wrap by-author" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.livescience.com/author/stephanie-pappas" rel="author" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(2, 108, 162); text-decoration: none;" class=""><span style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Stephanie Pappas</span> - <span style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; 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overflow: visible; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><div class="box less-space hero-image-wrapper" itemprop="image" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: table; float: left; clear: both; width: 602px;"><div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; width: 602px;" class=""><div class="hero-image-padding-wrap padding-on" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px;"><div class="hero-image-padding" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 425.1875px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 0; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; position: relative; height: 0px;"><picture style="font-family: "Open Sans";" class=""><source type="image/webp" alt="Diagram of the evolution of the universe from the inflation (left) to the present (right). The reconstruction method winds back the evolution from right to left on this illustration to reproduce the primordial density fluctuations from the current galaxy distribution." class=" hero-image block-image-ads" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" data-original-mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8.jpg" data-pin-media="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8.jpg" style="width: 100%;"><source type="image/jpeg" alt="Diagram of the evolution of the universe from the inflation (left) to the present (right). The reconstruction method winds back the evolution from right to left on this illustration to reproduce the primordial density fluctuations from the current galaxy distribution." class=" hero-image block-image-ads" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-480-80.jpg 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-1024-80.jpg 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" data-original-mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8.jpg" data-pin-media="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8.jpg" style="width: 100%;"><img src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-320-80.jpg" alt="Diagram of the evolution of the universe from the inflation (left) to the present (right). The reconstruction method winds back the evolution from right to left on this illustration to reproduce the primordial density fluctuations from the current galaxy distribution." class=" hero-image block-image-ads" srcset="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-320-80.jpg 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-480-80.jpg 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-650-80.jpg 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-970-80.jpg 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8-1024-80.jpg 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" data-original-mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8.jpg" data-pin-media="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mNyFEbkzVqcJg4JeUxh4K8.jpg" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; width: 602px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; height: 425.1875px; object-fit: contain;"></picture></div></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span class="caption-text" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Diagram of the evolution of the universe from the inflation (left) to the present (right). The reconstruction method winds back the evolution from right to left on this illustration to reproduce the primordial density fluctuations from the current galaxy distribution.</span> <span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 16px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">(Image credit: The Institute of Statistical Mathematics)</span></figcaption></div><div itemprop="articleBody" id="article-body" class="bodyCopy auto text-copy" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; position: relative; word-break: break-word;"><div itemprop="image" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""></div><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">Cosmologists are pressing rewind on the first instant after the Big Bang by simulating 4,000 versions of the universe on a massive supercomputer. </p><div id="ad-unit-1" class="ad-unit" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">The goal is to paint a picture of the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang, when the observable universe suddenly expanded 1 trillion trillion times in size in the tiniest sliver of a microsecond. By applying the method used for the simulations to real observations of today's universe, researchers hope to arrive at an accurate understanding of what this inflationary period looked like. </p><aside class="hawk-placeholder" data-render-type="fte" data-skip="dealsy" data-widget-type="seasonal" data-viewports="mobile" data-widget-id="1420833249872898000" data-result="missing" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; --trd-blue: #2f6e91; width: 602px; position: relative; --black: #000; --white: #fff; --yellow: #ffd800; --green: #3c8d0d; --orange: #ff6f28; --red: red; --pink: #e6248a; --light-blue: #97edfc; --mid-grey: #333; --light-grey: #eaeaea; --grey: #adadad; --dark-grey: #545454; --light-mid-grey: #ccc; --prime-blue: #00aeef; --prime-green: #eaf7e9; --lighter-mid-grey: #ebebeb; --game-platform-grey: #dbddde; --amazon-orange: #ffce00; --amazon-prime-day-blue: #70b7d9; --error-red: #f33f3f; --playstation-blue: #003791; --playstation-white: #fff; --xbox-green: #107c10; --nintendo-red: #e60012; --trd-pink: #e6248a; --trd-light-pink: #ea489d; --trd-grey: #ededed; --trd-dark-grey: #333; --trd-dark-blue: #315062; --rose-gold: #b76e79; --pc-orange: #ff8201; --site-color: #5aaf0b; --site-color-hover: var(--site-color); --heading-color: #2f6e91; --tab-color: var(--trd-blue); --cc-border-color: var(--light-mid-grey); --cc-filters-title-color: var(--black); --expanded-row-color: var(--trd-blue); --expanded-row-box-shadow: 4px 4px 20px var(--expanded-row-color); --toggle-color: var(--trd-blue); --toggle-switch-color: var(--trd-blue); --postcode-entry-button-color: var(--site-color); --comparison-load-more-background-color: #262626; --tv-channels-display-label-color: #696969; --index-color: #999; --editors-pick-background-color: #ededed; --editors-pick-promo-color: var(--trd-blue); --editors-pick-promo-rgba-color: rgba(47,110,145,0.3); --editors-pick-voucher-background-color: #e6248a; --filter-border-color: #c1c1c1; --filter-hover-border-color: #535353; --filter-selected-hover-border-color: #666; --countdown-in-progress-color: var(--trd-pink); --rows-background-color: var(--white); --hawk-footer-background: var(--trd-grey); --hawk-footer-game-platform-border: solid 1px var(--game-platform-grey); --hover-panel-color: orange; --description-hover-background: #cac7c7; --display-price-code-color: var(--site-color); --site-logo-width: 100%; --site-logo-max-width: none; --hawk-tab-text-color: #666; --hawk-tab-background: #d6d6d6; --review-background: var(--trd-grey); --review-rows-background: var(--white); --review-peacock-background: var(--white); --product-label-background: var(--light-grey); --product-label-text-color: var(--black); --seasonal-event-grey: #797979; --seasonal-event-dark-grey: #313131; --seasonal-event-merchants-background: var(--white); --game-platform-background: transparent; --price-widget-padding: 0 0 0.8em 0; --price-widget-padding-mobile: 0 0 0.8em 0; --price-widget-border-bottom: none; --was-price-text-color: #848484; --was-price-promo-color: #be0707; --was-price-light-promo-color: #ededed; --was-price-light-promo-text-color: #be0707; --dotw-header-border-top: 1px solid #ddd; --dotw-header-border-bottom: 4px solid #006ea9; --dotw-toggle-background-color: #1b1b1b; --dotw-search-input-border-color: #ddd; --dotw-header-background: transparent; --dotw-header-text-color: var(--black); --user-input-color: #c1c1c1; --user-input-hover-color: #535353; --user-input-input-background: #f2f2f2; --user-input-input-error-color: #838383; --radio-button-color: #c1c1c1; --checkbox-color: #c1c1c1; --range-filter-shadow-color: #a9a9a9; --range-filter-background-color: var(--site-color); --pre-order-promise-color: #aaa; --merchant-link-mona-background-color: var(--site-color); --merchant-link-mona-text-color: inherit; --mona-site-font-family: inherit; --mona-widget-extra-background: #a5a5a5; --mona-widget-extra-backgound-hover: #a5a5a5; --shop-filter-button-background-color: var(--trd-blue); --shop-filter-button-text-color: var(--white); --pagination-button-selected-background-color: var(--trd-blue); --deal-widget-border-color: #ddd; --deal-hero-promo-background: #e6248a; --deal-hero-promo-color: #fff; --deal-hero-promo-background-progressive: transparent; --deal-hero-promo-color-progressive: #d21f26;"></aside><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">"We are trying to do something like guessing a baby photo of our universe from the latest picture," study leader Masato Shirasaki, a cosmologist at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), wrote in an email to Live Science. </p><h2 id="patchy-universe-xa0" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em; padding: 10px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 30px; font-size: 24px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">Patchy universe </h2><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">Today's universe shows variations in density, with some patches rich in galaxies and others relatively barren. One promising hypothesis for this uneven distribution of visible matter is that, at the time of the Big Bang, there were already quantum fluctuations, or random, temporary changes in energy, in the tiny, primordial universe, Shirasaki said. </p><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">When the universe expanded, these fluctuations would have expanded, too, with denser points stretching into regions of greater density than their surroundings. Gravitational forces would have interacted with these stretched-out filaments, causing galaxies to clump along them. </p><div id="ad-unit-2" class="ad-unit" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">But gravitational interactions are complex, so trying to rewind this inflationary period to understand how the universe would have looked before it is very challenging. Cosmologists essentially need to remove the gravitational fluctuations from the equation. </p><div class="mid__article" style="font-family: inherit; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; margin-bottom: 0px !important;"></div><div class="slot-double-height-1-523" data-feat-ref="bordeaux-feat-id-54" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; display: flex; flex: 1 1 0%; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; height: 0px;"></div><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class=""><span style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">A clean start</span> </p><div class="slot-double-height-0-509" data-feat-ref="bordeaux-feat-id-55" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; display: flex; flex: 1 1 0%; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; height: 0px;"></div><p style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.5; vertical-align: baseline; width: 602px; height: auto;" class="">The researchers developed a reconstruction method to do just that. To find out if the reconstruction was accurate, though, they needed some way to test it. So they used NAOJ's ATERUI II supercomputer to create 4,000 versions of the universe, all with slightly different initial density fluctuations. The researchers allowed these virtual universes to undergo their own virtual inflations and then applied the reconstruction method to them, to see if it could get them back to their original starting points. </p></div></section></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class=""><font face="Gill Sans" style="font-size: 31px;" class=""><br class=""></font></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="editor-info" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;"></div></div></div></div></body></html>