by Lauren Jonik

Lauren Jonik: You’ve had an incredible career as an astronaut, an aquanaut and an artist. What inspired you to pursue these fields?

Nicole Stott: My inspiration all started with parents who shared what they loved with me. My mom is very creative– sewed all our clothes growing up and enjoyed things like macramé and pottery– and she always included me and my sisters. She also encouraged me to take ballet and play softball, and she was the one who took us out to the airport on the weekends so we would be with my dad out there while he was working on his airplanes. My dad loved to fly and build small aerobatic airplanes. He shared that love of flying with me and I knew I wanted to fly planes, but I also wanted to know how airplanes fly. This led me to choose aeronautical engineering for college and evolved into wanting to know how rocket ships fly. I also have memory of watching the first moon landing with my family, but at that time and for a long time, the idea of being an astronaut didn’t seem “real.”

LJ: The experience of getting to view our planet from outside of it is one that not many people have had. How would you describe what it felt like to be in space looking back at our collective home?

NS: Awesome, blessed, grateful. . . These are the words that most come to mind. Our planet is overwhelmingly beautiful. It just glows in all the colors we know Earth to be, and it sits against the backdrop of the blackest black I’ve ever seen. I feel like I have a better understanding of the word awe because of this experience.  

I also felt a real sense of significance of whom and where we are in the universe. We might be a small, beautiful planet in the grander scheme of the universe, but we are significant.  A little closer or further from the sun would not be not so good for us. It gave a real sense of place and reason—- even though we might all spend our whole lives looking for that reason ;).  

Even though I was the furthest I probably ever will be from Earth, the view out the window always made me feel more connected. It was a reality check about this one place that we all share– the interconnectivity of it all, of us all– that we really are all in this together. Home very quickly becomes planet Earth.

The three lessons I took away from my spaceflight experience (and I don’t think you have to go to space to understand this) are: we live on a planet. We are all Earthlings. The only border that matters is the thin blue line of our atmosphere that blankets us all.   

I’m working now in hopes that everyone will appreciate and take action in their own lives based on those three simple lessons.

LJ: In addition to being accomplished in the sciences, you’re also an accomplished artist with a stunning body of work. You have the distinction of being the first person to paint a watercolor in space. What was it like to create under those conditions– both from an artistic standpoint and a practical one?

NS: Thank you for the kind words about my art.

It was a lot of fun to paint with watercolors in space. Wish I would have videotaped the whole process because I think it would have been a beautiful and simple way to describe the whole physics of living and working in microgravity. Balls of floating water to dip my brush in, having to think ahead and secure everything so it didn’t all float away, and dealing with the difference in how the paint and water and paper behaved in microgravity. Also, because we’re traveling at 17500 mph (five miles per sec), you can’t float at the window and paint what you’re seeing, so I printed out a picture of something I really loved seeing and painted from the picture as a reference.

From an artistic standpoint I don’t think there’s any better inspiration for a painting than the view out the spacecraft windows.  I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to paint in space. It is one of my most special memories of my spaceflight experience. It has been the inspiration for all of the work I’m doing now to share the awe and wonder of spaceflight. I’m combining my artwork and spaceflight experience to inspire creative thinking about solutions to our planetary challenges, to raise awareness of the surprising interplay between science and art, and to promote the amazing work being done every day in space to improve life right here on Earth. 

LJ:  What inspired you to become an astronaut? What is your academic background? What training was involved to prepare you for missions?

NS: Parents who shared what they loved with me was definitely the basis of inspiration for me— even before I ever considered becoming an astronaut. My mom is very creative and my dad loved to build and fly small airplanes. Ultimately, it became about paying attention to the things I love and choosing a path from there and most importantly having people that believed in and encouraged me. For a long time, a job like astronaut seemed like something that just other special people get to do. When I finally decided that I wanted to even consider applying, it took the encouragement of several people I consider to be mentors for me to actually pick up the pen and fill out the application.

I wanted to know how things fly, so I studied Aeronautical Engineering at university.  

Lots of training involved with preparing to fly in space. It was a lot like going back to school – learning all about the systems on the spacecraft we might get to fly, learning how the different space programs work, and learning to speak Russian. We flew in the small T38 trainer jets to learn how to work as an effective crew in a real complex system. We did “expeditionary training” like ten day off-the-grid hikes in the Canyonlands, winter and sea survival in Russia, and living underwater in an undersea habitat — all of these to help us understand how we would work as a team in a complex and extreme environment. Really cool training like how to do a spacewalk and fly the robotic arm and operate the spacecraft systems and perform the scientific/payload work during a mission. And lots of emergency simulations in Space Shuttle and Space Station mockups.  All of the training was really about working as an effective team/crew. For ISS training, we spent a lot of time training in our partner countries too (Russia, Germany, Japan, Canada). It was really great to work with a team of such talented and passionate people from around the world.

LJ: Was there anything that surprised you about the experience of being in space? I imagine astronauts are extremely well prepared for what to expect, but were there any small details that were unexpected? 

NS: A lot of it is surprising. Unfortunately, we still don’t get to fly to space to train to fly to space. So all of what we do to prepare is down here on the ground in the classroom or in simulators, the wilderness, underwater, or in airplanes (like I described above). Fortunately, that training all is very effective. It doesn’t prepare you though for how liberating it is to float in microgravity or how stunning the view is out the window or for how really amazing it is to work with your international crew in such a special place.

Some of the unusual things that I hadn’t heard of and was surprised to see were shooting stars below me and how things smell after being exposed to the vacuum of space. Shooting stars below you are just so unexpected because it’s something you’re so used looking up towards the sky to see. They are really beautiful below you just like they are above. You feel lucky when you get to see one from space, just like you do from down here on Earth, but in space you feel especially lucky that you’re seeing one because if you’re seeing it that means it hasn’t hit your spaceship!  The “smell of space” was something that surprised me too. A sweet metallicy smell from anything that had just been exposed to space (e.g. hatch of a docking spaceship, suit of someone coming in from an EVA).

LJ: How does it feel physically to exist in a weightless environment? What does it feel like to maneuver around while wearing a spacesuit? What are the suits made of?

NS: Just like on Earth the spacesuits are pretty bulky to move around in. You definitely don’t have the same dexterity and freedom of movement like you do when you don’t have on a big spacesuit or gloves. Fortunately, the suits don’t “weigh” anything in space so it is a lot easier to maneuver and get from one place to another in them. You just have to remember there’s still the same mass, so you don’t want to get moving too fast and not be able to stop yourself. The other fortunate thing is that our spacecraft are all pressurized to sea level pressure, so the only time you have to wear one of those big suits is if you’re launching, landing, or doing a spacewalk. Living and working – floating/flying – in microgravity is a very graceful and liberating way to move. And it’s pretty incredible how our brains and bodies figure out how to move effortlessly in a three-dimensional environment.

LJ: You’re also an aquanaut. For people who don’t know, can you explain what the term means and what is involved with the job?

NS: Basically it means that I’ve spent an extended period of time living underwater in a saturated environment (saturated just means that you’ve been at depth for a long enough time that your blood has a high nitrogen content and it isn’t safe to just swim back to the surface without doing something to remove it).

LJ: You lived undersea for 18 days. How did the experience compare to being in space? How far below the surface were you?

NS: The Aquarius habitat sits on the seafloor at 60 ft. It was the most amazing experience on its own to get to know our planet from that undersea/”inner space” perspective. It was also the most wonderful analog to living and working in space. A real scientific mission, in a real extreme environment, in a place very similar to the size of an ISS module. You can’t just float outside without special equipment; you’re in a relatively small space with your 5 crewmates; you’re relying on supply and communication from your topside team; real experiments going on both inside and outside the habitat; and you can’t just evacuate and swim to the surface to escape a problem– you have to deal with it at 60 ft underwater. Absolute best analog to living and working in space.

LJ: Your artwork has a serene, almost other-worldly quality to it. When did you discover painting? Is watercolor your preferred medium? What inspires you to paint?

NS: Thank you. I’ve always loved artsy-craftsy things, including painting. I do like watercolor, but now I’m primarily using oils and acrylics for my current paintings. I’ve found a particular paint that seems to give me the most translucence and iridescence that I remember from the way the colors looked when viewing Earth from space. Lots of things inspire me to paint, but my main subject now is the views I had from space— with the goal of sharing my experience in a way that inspires creative thinking about solutions to our planetary challenges, to raise awareness of the surprising interplay between science and art, and to promote the amazing work being done every day in space to improve life right here on Earth. I think it’s really important that everyone knows that we have a successful and peaceful international partnership on the ISS and all the work that’s being done there is to improve life here on Earth, and to encourage more Earthling and Earth appreciation. 

LJ: Your work seamlessly integrates both the arts and the sciences. Can you share a bit about the Space for Art exhibit?

NS: I believe there is so much goodness that comes through the intersection of science and art – use of the whole brain, integrated problem solving, beautiful ways to communicate complex things. . . I wanted to create an exhibit that would raise awareness of this through the artwork of a group of people that are normally only thought of for their “technical” sides. I also believe that most of us have a blend of the art and science going on, but just to different degrees and that to be really successful, it’s important for us to explore that blend. The goal of the Space for Art exhibit was to do just that— to showcase this wonderful intersection between art and science. For the exhibit, it was my goal to show that for the most part the people we tend to think of only from the standpoint of their technical careers are likely to have something artistic going on too. The first exhibit was built from the artwork of my friends at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and was displayed in the central gallery of the Space Center Houston Visitor Complex. The artists were scientists, engineers, astronauts, technicians.  We had all forms of art you can imagine– paintings, drawings, quilts, stained glass, cakes, musical instruments, woodworking, poetry, photography, and even some of these that had been created in space. Alongside the display of their artwork, each artist gave a short description of how art and science have intersected in their lives.  It was a beautiful and meaningful exhibit that I’m hoping to curate again from the artwork of different technical communities. It was also very well-received by the public, and especially cool to see kids become aware that you don’t have to pick art or science. I think the most impressive thing to me though was seeing some of the people that had worked together in the technical environment for twenty years realize that so many of their technical colleagues are artists too. It’s like they were being reintroduced to each other, and I like to the think the work they are doing together now is even more successful and creative.

LJ: Can you tell us a bit more about the Spacesuit Art Project, the wonderful project that helps pediatric cancer patients?

NS: I’ll just start out by saying that I think this is the most important project I’ve ever supported. I would even go so far as to say that I went to space so I can now work on something like this. In the simplest sense, we have tied together the inspiration of space exploration with the healing power of art.  

What began with the children in one hospital in Houston, TX has grown to children in multiple hospitals and schools around the world. By combining the individual pieces of these children’s artwork into colorful art spacesuits, the children have been given an opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves and to use space-themed art to inspire them to think about their own futures, to understand their connection to the other children around the world, and to transcend the illness or other challenges they are experiencing.  

What started out as the Spacesuit Art Project has grown into something our team is calling Space for Art. Inspired by the children– our artists– from around the world and the mission of space, art and wellness, spacesuit art has inspired more space-themed projects around the world. It has resulted in the implementation of more art and healing programs in hospitals around the world. It is connecting more and more children and providing a mechanism for the global display of their artwork, and we’re hopeful it will also result in some research that further supports the healing power of art. The Space for Art Foundation and our partners like the Unity Movement in Russia are working to take advantage of the momentum of the Spacesuit Art Project and apply the results to both Earth-based wellness, but also to the wellness challenges that astronauts traveling further off our home planet might face.  

LJ: What obstacles have you faced in your career, if any? How did you navigate them?

NS: I think the main obstacle for me has always been a lack of confidence and self-doubt. Using the decision to apply for the astronaut office as an example– I always seemed to fall into the routine of questioning “why would they ever pick me?” vs really considering why they would. I am so thankful for the people in my life that I consider to be mentors who encouraged me to at least pick up the pen and fill out the application. Before that, I was basically just sabotaging any chance I would have by not doing the one thing that might actually put me in the running.  I’m also very thankful that starting with my parents no one ever told me that I couldn’t do something. I am very thankful for the people around me that lifted me up. If I came across someone who tried to say I couldn’t do something because I was too small, or a girl, or because I have brown hair, or I wasn’t smart enough, I somehow knew to just not hang around them.  

The navigation of the self-doubt was managed through the support of people who saw more in me than I did in myself, and by allowing myself to trust them and accept their guidance.

LJ: What advice would you give to either your younger self or to a young woman now who is considering a career working at NASA and who dreams of seeing the Earth from above?

NS: Pay attention to the things you enjoy– find your passion and surround yourself with the people that lift you up.  Wonderful opportunities present themselves to you when you’re willing to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone. Always be thinking about how the decisions you make will affect those around you— like the space program, choose a path that is based on improving life for everyone.

Also, regarding the seeing Earth from above, I go back to the three lessons I mentioned in an earlier answer (we live on a planet, we’re all earthlings and the only border that matters is the thin blue line of our atmosphere). I highly recommend seeing the Earth from space, but I don’t think you have to go to space to appreciate these three lessons— and I think everyone should reflect on these three lessons regularly in their lives. Everyone should do their best to step outside their own neighborhood and experience the world around them from different perspectives. Appreciate the wonder and awe that’s offered to you right here surrounding you on Earth. Live like an Earthling!

LJ: Do you have any thoughts about the prospect of humans going to Mars? How long would it take to reach the planet?

NS: I look forward to the time when we have humans on Mars, when we have humans back on the Moon, when we’re traveling even further from our planet. The one thought I have though is that to me all of this exploration and the idea of settling on other places in our own Solar System and beyond is that we are ultimately doing it to improve life on Earth for as long as there can be life on Earth. We could spend this whole interview talking about the answer to this question. I think all of the answers to the other questions also support this rationale. We need to treat our planet in space like a spaceship and all behave like its crew. We need to recognize the wonderful gift this home planet is for us and do our best to sustain life here within its limits. We must appreciate our place here and how we treat Earth for our future so that we can venture out to other places with a deliberate care of them in mind and with the opportunity to become a multi-planetary species and do our best to ensure the survival of the human race.

LJ: Physicists have been making new discoveries about black holes and our universe. If you could have one cosmological mystery instantly solved, what would you choose?

NS: I have distinct memory as a child of looking at a space themed National Geographic magazine and being awestruck by the poster pullout in the middle. It was a beautiful graphic drawing of the observable universe. It was this oval drawing set against a white backdrop. I remember thinking how amazing it was that we could know so much about the big universe around us, but then was taken back by the white border. What was all that white that then rolled off to the carpet on my bedroom floor and on to all the space around me? Was that heaven? Was that the rest of the universe? If it was the rest of the universe then what’s that universe in the middle of? Does the white ever end? Is that what infinity means– what does infinity really mean? Wow! Guess I’d want to know: what is the white backdrop?  

I think there is a ginormous conversation that could be had from this one question that speaks to why I also believe there shouldn’t be any conflict between science and religion.

LJ: For schoolchildren everywhere, settle the debate: how many planets do we currently know about in our solar system?   

NS: Ha! I have no expertise in this area at all, but when I think planets in our solar system I still include Pluto. 😉  

LJ: Is there anything else you would like to mention? 

NS: Thank you for the opportunity to share my spaceflight experience. I hope everyone will walk away from reading this and remember that we live on a planet, we are all Earthlings, and the only border that matters is the thin blue line of our atmosphere that blankets us all. I believe that incorporating these three things into our daily lives can have a significant, positive impact on the decisions we make and the actions we take.

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To learn more about Nicole Stott’s work, please visit: www.theartisticastronaut.com