All articles tagged with #astronaut
NASA astronaut Chris Williams returns to Earth after 241 days in orbit aboard Soyuz MS-28, logging about 102 million miles and 3,800 orbits with Roscosmos cosmonauts Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev. Williams, a Potomac-area resident and Montgomery Blair High School alumnus with a Stanford physics degree and MIT PhD, has a background in cancer imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, and spacecraft water systems, and has completed two spacewalks.
Astronauts returning from extended stays in orbit report a jarring re-entry to Earth: rain smells overwhelming, grass feels abrasive, and driving feels like piloting a rover as the brain relearns gravity; the vestibular system, skin, and brain undergo lasting recalibration, a challenge intensifying with longer missions now being studied, including a year-long Chinese flight and future Mars transits.
NASA is inviting volunteers to participate in its Moon & Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA), a year-long simulation that recreates the isolation, confinement, and daily tasks of a long‑duration spaceflight. Participants will live in specialized habitats, perform scheduled maintenance, conduct scientific experiments, respond to simulated emergencies, and help researchers study crew dynamics, mental health, and mission procedures. The program also features virtual reality spacewalks and a mandatory social‑media detox, building on prior analogs HERA and CHAPEA. The next mission is planned to begin no earlier than August 2027, after NASA selects and trains the crew.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir photographed a brilliant aurora over Earth from the International Space Station at about 250 miles up, also catching a Milky Way view and passing Starlink satellites; she notes the Milky Way appears milkier from the Southern Hemisphere due to a clearer view of its galactic core.
NASA says veteran astronaut Mike Fincke experienced a sudden medical scare during the SpaceX Crew-11 mission and re-entry, but the cause remains unclear as investigators review what happened ahead of a safe splashdown near San Diego on January 15, 2026.
Hannah Berryman’s Spacewoman profiles Eileen Collins, tracing her ascent from a challenging Elmira upbringing to NASA’s first female shuttle pilot and commander, and foregrounding her poised navigation of pride, fear, and a male-dominated culture—with a tense Discovery moment that anchors the documentary amid memories of Challenger and Columbia.
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has publicly identified himself as the ailing crew member whose medical condition prompted the International Space Station’s first medical evacuation. His illness quickly stabilized thanks to crewmates and ground flight surgeons, the mission ended early, and he is doing well now. The station’s ultrasound and other imaging aided the assessment, though Fincke stressed it was not an emergency; the team chose to leverage advanced medical imaging not available on the station.
Polish ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski spent 20 days aboard the International Space Station for the Ax-4 Ignis mission, filming a nine-minute timelapse from the Cupola that shows Earth’s atmosphere and the Moon rising. ESA released the clips alongside a hands-on science agenda—13 Polish-institution experiments and 3 ESA-led studies—underscoring international collaboration and tech development for future space missions; the Ax-4 mission launched June 25, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon.
Chris Williams, a Maryland native and astrophysics researcher, fulfilled his childhood dream of traveling to space, having a background in astrophysics, medical physics, and volunteer emergency services.
A group of international students, including aerospace engineering students like Katie Mulry, participated in a simulated lunar base inside a Swiss mountain as part of the Asclepios project, aiming to mimic life on the Moon and follow in the footsteps of the Apollo program.
Winston Elliott Scott, a retired NASA astronaut who flew in space in the 1990s, shares his experiences and insights on the effects of space travel on the human body and mind at age 75, highlighting NASA's efforts to manage astronaut health and the enduring impact of space missions.
Lauren Edgar, a former Skyline High School student from Western Washington with a Ph.D. in geology, has been selected as one of 10 candidates for NASA's 2025 astronaut class, aiming to contribute to lunar and Martian exploration.
Lauren Edgar, a NASA geologist and astronaut candidate with nearly 20 years of experience studying Mars and the moon, has been selected for NASA's 2025 astronaut class. She is excited about the possibility of going to space, especially to the moon's south pole, and aims to contribute to future missions to Mars. Her background includes supporting rover missions and lunar science, and she looks forward to training in various skills to support human exploration.
UVM Medical School alum Imelda Muller was selected as one of NASA's 10 new astronaut candidates for the 2025 class, bringing her expertise in medicine and extreme environment adaptation to space exploration, after a competitive selection process from over 8,000 applicants.
NASA selected U.S. Air Force Maj. Adam Fuhrmann, an MIT graduate, for its 2025 astronaut candidate class, where he will undergo two years of training for missions including the International Space Station and Artemis lunar missions. Fuhrmann, with extensive flight experience and leadership roles at MIT and in the Air Force, is set to become the 45th MIT graduate to qualify as a flight-eligible astronaut.