South King News

Nicole Stott, a former NASA astronaut, will present a program at the Museum on January 25. The event is part of the Museum's Astronaut January series and includes an audience Q&A with Stott and other members of the Space for Art team. The program is free with admission to the Museum and will feature an ASL interpreter.

Stott has had a distinguished career as an astronaut, aquanaut, engineer, artist, and author. She spent 104 days in space during two missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the space shuttle. Notably, she was the first person to operate the ISS robotic arm to capture a free-flying cargo vehicle and painted the first watercolor in space.

In addition to her space achievements, Stott participated in an 18-day saturation dive mission at the Aquarius undersea laboratory as part of her preparation for spaceflight. She believes that cooperation experienced in extreme environments like space and sea can be applied to life on Earth.

After retiring from NASA, Stott has become a technical consultant, motivational speaker, and advocate for initiatives benefiting life on Earth through space exploration. She is also a founding director of the Space for Art Foundation which connects children globally through art inspired by space exploration.

The Museum's Astronaut January series also features other notable astronauts sharing their experiences beyond Earth. On January 11, Cady Coleman presented stories from her memoir about her time in Antarctica and on a six-month mission in space. On January 18, Chris Cassidy hosted an evening reception discussing his time among the stars.

Stott's presentation on January 25 will include a screening of "Space for Art," an award-winning film documenting her efforts to unite children worldwide through art inspired by space exploration.

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