Jessica Meir
@Astro_Jessica • 269,085 subscribers
NASA Astronaut. Scientist. Mother. Explorer. Nature lover. Currently living on-board the @Space_Station supporting Expeditions 74 and 75.
Shorts
Videos
A whole new world, volume up! That’s me on the tip of the Canadian Space Agency Canadarm in last week’s spacewalk. The ground team dubbed it the Disney Land ride, given the long trajectory of motion from one worksite to the next. This IRL version of space mountain certainly delivered. At times I faced away from the International Space Station, not able to see any of its parts, nor that of the arm. It felt as if I was simply levitating above the majestic blue gem we call planet Earth.
Jessica Meir106,654 Aufrufe • vor 3 Tagen
Perspective is everything. 🌍 Gazing down at Earth from above offers an incredibly profound one, as does looking back at the International Space Station from a window in the Russian segment. Our crewmate Anna Kikina captured this incredible footage during Anil Menon and my spacewalk on Aug. 6. Even suited up in our bulky spacesuits, we look like tiny little worker bees at the hive given the massive scale of the station.
Jessica Meir279,588 Aufrufe • vor 19 Tagen
I‘ll stop posting timelapses of the aurora from the International Space Station when I’m tired of looking at them . . . so basically never! Another unforgettable display of this ethereal phenomenon as it danced beneath us last night, this one even more special as it was shared with Anil Menon, as he witnessed it for the first time with such intensity. The red wavelengths (above the green) were particularly bright in this pass.
Jessica Meir209,857 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
My favorite mini fig 🤖 Building these blocks in space while my 3.5yo builds the same set on Earth. 🌍 Separated by 250 miles, yet connected like our bricks. I deal with floating, wandering micro bricks in microgravity (gray tape ftw!), while her dad deals with the real danger of finding rogue pieces with his bare feet. We built this set together, block by block. We can’t always share a room to be together, but we can share a common mission. How do you stay close to your kids when you travel for work? Let me know your best long-distance parenting tips below.👇🏽 Special thanks to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek for the inspiration!
Jessica Meir49,336 Aufrufe • vor 12 Tagen
A timelapse view from our SpaceX Dragon of the spectacular southern aurora seen in yesterday’s post, a result of a recent solar event. As opposed to the previous aurora I’ve seen, this one danced and snaked its way directly below us, putting on quite a show. I am in awe of this ethereal and emotionally evocative phenomenon.
Jessica Meir269,098 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
Nice catch, Reid Wiseman! From our shared legacy of almost 26 years of a continuous human presence conducting science and technology demonstrations on the International Space Station to the successful return to the Moon with the Artemis II mission, all of us at NASA are so excited to have entered the NASAArtemis era. We explore together as one humankind.
Jessica Meir344,876 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
On my first mission I completely fell in love with space photography - tough not to when you’re graced with this kind of unique perspective of viewing all that Earth has to behold from above. I’ve been so happy to bust out the array of impressive lenses that we have up here once again, and this time with even better cameras (Nikon Z9, vs the D5 from my previous mission). I was lucky enough to capture some pretty good aurora (northern lights, here over Alaska and Canada) on my first timelapse attempt of the mission, stay tuned for more! Hoping for some impressive solar events to put on a fascinating show like the ones a few months ago.
Jessica Meir451,115 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
You asked for it, and you got it! Behold the making of a space cake, РОСКОСМОС cosmonaut style! Our crewmate Andrey Fedyaev made this video capturing the process, using sweetened condensed milk, layers of intricately sliced honey bread and yogurt (РОСКОСМОС food supplies) and rehydrated berries (NASA food supplies). Our crewmates are such “space kitchen” masters, that I’ve eaten far more cake on the International Space Station than I do on Earth! Each homemade cake is unique, of course (another beloved ingredient is pine nuts!). This one happened to be for my birthday last week. Thank you to all of the Expedition 74 crew for making it such a special event! 🎂🎉
Jessica Meir127,525 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
Sneak peek at what it looks like to set up a new experiment on the International Space Station! I installed hardware in the Microgravity Sciences Glovebox (MSG) for the Colloidal Solids experiment. This study will investigate the structure and dynamics of crystal, gel and glass phases during solidification of colloids (mixtures in which tiny particles of one substance are scattered throughout another, but that don’t dissolve or settle out, for example, milk, mayonnaise, and fog). Since gravitational forces often perturb these materials, we may observe differences in microgravity. This research could lead to the development of new materials for space exploration (substrates for plant growth, 3D printing, etc.), and may provide insight into protein crystallization, a critical process in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, to directly benefit human health back on Earth.
Jessica Meir193,808 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
Looks like Mother Earth is putting her best face forward for Earth Day with some spectacular Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights! I couldn’t look away from the International Space Station cupola window as I witnessed this magnificent Earthly phenomenon dance its magical ballet. Covering a majority of the area I could see, our precious blue gem had turned completely green! Mother Earth is undeniably gorgeous, but she is also utterly fragile. Let’s remember to treat her as well as she has treated us. I never saw anything near this scale during my previous mission here on the ISS. That’s because we are currently near a strong peak of the solar cycle, while my first mission coincided with solar minimum.
Jessica Meir164,870 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
Another glimpse inside the International Space Station Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG). It was time to provide the neocartilage mentioned in last week’s post with some fresh nutrients, so yesterday I conducted a media exchange. This nifty chamber designed for space has septa on each side, so I can attach 2 syringes – one to withdraw the old media, while simultaneously injecting fresh media. The glovebox helps us prevent contamination in the chamber and also protects us and the space station atmosphere from any potentially harmful chemicals.
Jessica Meir118,318 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
In this timelapse of the night sky, you can see lightning storms (beginning and end), and one of my favorite night scenes – as we cross over Africa from west to east, it is very dimly lit until the snaking spectacle of light along the Nile appears (worth the wait), erupting into the brilliance of Cairo and the river delta. It’s a perfect illustration of the vitality of our planet’s water sources and how our human cultures have developed along them.
Jessica Meir107,657 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
Inspired by our scheduled International Space Station link up with the Crown Princess of Sweden, I set my camera lens on my mother’s home country (I have dual citizenship with Sweden!). With the inclination of the ISS orbit, we never pass directly over Scandinavia, but I was lucky enough to catch some aurora dancing in that neighborhood, just a few days before our call. Heja Sverige! The timelapse shows city night lights but settings optimized for aurora, air glow, stars. :06 Norway appears at right edge of screen :10 Sweden appears at right edge of screen :19 Sweden in center of screen :28 Moscow appears on right of screen :37 Moscow in center of screen In the first image, you can see part of each of the Scandinavian countries – Sweden is in the center of the image (looks like some clouds over Southern Sweden, so lights look a bit blurry there), the air glow of the atmosphere at night, and the aurora (and the edge of an ISS solar array). In the second image, you can see parts of Norway and Sweden (again a bit blurry in Southern Sweden due to clouds). The large bright spot in lower right area of image is Stockholm. Both photos were taken on March 11, and the timelapse taken on March 13.
Jessica Meir135,089 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Our crewmate Chris Williams stated a few weeks ago that he was hoping for another round of aurora viewing from the International Space Station before his departure, and the solar system delivered! Wishing the 74S crew a journey home that is as spectacular as the ethereal glow of the Aurora Australis. It has been an absolute honor flying with you Sergey, Sergei and Chris.
Jessica Meir38,090 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Still in awe that another of my childhood dreams has come true! I wanted to be an astronaut since I was five years old, but another childhood aspiration of mine was to play in a professional symphony. Who would have guessed that one dream could lead to the other? Immense gratitude to Boston Pops for the extraordinary opportunity to join their iconic July 4th Fireworks Spectacular and play the piccolo solo in Stars and Stripes Forever from the International Space Station! This one is for you, Mr. McLaughlin!
Jessica Meir46,446 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
Yesterday our mass here on the International Space Station shrank a bit, as we said goodbye to the SpaceX Dragon-34 cargo vehicle and the bounty of science that she brought us. It was a busy but very fruitful month. Here’s how she looked: 1) The night pass just prior to undocking, awash in the red glow of its navigation light, with long exposure highlighting the night sky, air glow and some city lights. 2) Matching the aurora that happened to dance by in the night pass just prior to undocking. 3) Timelapse as she detaches from the ISS and disappears out of view.
Jessica Meir52,845 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten
Rinse and repeat! Take a peek into how Jack Hathaway and I suited up Anil Menon and Adenot Sophie last week for their spacewalk. Tune in to NASA+ tomorrow to watch them execute part 2 of an International Space Station communications antenna replacement. After the hardware presented some difficulty on the first attempt last week, the team is ready with plan 2.0. Let’s go EVA!
Jessica Meir10,531 Aufrufe • vor 16 Tagen
Join me in the International Space Station airlock! We’re T-2 days until our next Expedition 74 spacewalk. Chris Williams and I will venture outside on Tuesday to repair one of the joints on the Canadarm2, our robotic arm outside the ISS. Wish us luck, and be sure to tune in on NASA+!
Jessica Meir30,469 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten