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Digital Creators: Apply to Watch Astronauts Launch to Space with NASA
Do you spend a lot of time online? Would you like to see our next crew of astronauts lift off to the International Space Station?
We’re looking for digital content creators of all backgrounds to join us at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for our Crew-6 mission to the space station, set to lift off no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 26.
Applications close Friday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. EST (2000 UTC)—we’d love to see you there! Apply now.
Can’t make this one? Click here to stay updated about future opportunities.
NASA astronaut Megan McArthur will launch on Friday, April 23 to the International Space Station as the pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission! This is the second crew rotation flight with astronauts on the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the first launch with two international partners as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. McArthur is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance and is assigned to be a long-duration space station crew member. While this is her first trip to the space station, McArthur’s career has prepared her well for this important role on the Crew-2 team!
McArthur on the Crew Access Arm of the mobile launcher inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky
McArthur was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew up in California. She is a former Girl Scout and has a Bachelor of Science 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 performed research activities at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
McArthur floating in microgravity during her STS-125 mission in 2009 aboard space shuttle Atlantis. Credits: NASA
While in graduate school, McArthur conducted research, served as Chief Scientist for at-sea data collection operations, and planned and led diving operations. She also volunteered at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, conducting educational demonstrations for the public from inside a 70,000-gallon exhibit tank of the California Kelp Forest. Her experience conducting research in extreme conditions will certainly come in handy once she’s aboard the space station, as a big part of the astronauts’ job involves running research experiments in microgravity.
McArthur, seen through the window of space shuttle Atlantis, operating the robotic arm during a spacewalk. Credits: NASA
McArthur was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000 and flew her first spaceflight aboard STS-125, the final space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. She worked as the flight engineer during launch and landing, and also served as the shuttle’s robotic arm operator as she carefully retrieved the telescope and placed it in the shuttle’s cargo bay for servicing. The successful mission improved the telescope’s capabilities and extended its life – and Hubble is still helping us make discoveries about our universe.
McArthur pictured in her pressure suit during a training session at SpaceX HQ in Hawthorne, California. Credits: NASA
Now, it’s time for the next big milestone in McArthur’s career! On Friday, April 23 Crew-2 will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida en route to the International Space Station. McArthur is the pilot of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and second-in-command for the mission.
NASA TV coverage of Crew-2 launch preparations and liftoff will begin at 1:30 a.m. EDT Friday, April 23 with launch scheduled for 5:49 a.m. EDT. Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station Saturday, April 24, at approximately 5:10 a.m. EDT. Watch live: www.nasa.gov/nasalive
This Saturday, they’ll be in the HOSC to monitor launch conditions and watch the data as Crew-1 blasts off, helping future commercially-operated missions to the ISS run even more smoothly.
With the Space Station’s population soon to jump from three to seven, our ISS crew will be able to spend up to 70 hours a week on science, helping us learn how to live in space while making life better on Earth!
Soichi Noguchi was selected as an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in 1996. A native of Yokohama, Kanagawa, he is currently a mission specialist for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 launch taking flight to the International Space Station on Nov. 14. Soichi will be the first international crewmember on Crew Dragon and the first international partner astronaut to fly aboard three types of orbital spacecraft – the U.S. space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz, and now the SpaceX Crew Dragon! Talk about impressive.
He received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering in 1989, master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1991, Doctor of Philosophy in Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies in 2020, all from the University of Tokyo.
Soichi took time from preparing for his historic mission to answer questions about his life and career:
You recently earned a doctorate in philosophy.
What made you do it?
After my second flight, I started this research
about your sensory system in zero gravity. I used a my own personal video,
which I took during my last two flights at the International Space Station. I
had a lot of interesting discussions amongst young professionals and students
at the University of Tokyo about the research. It was a fun experience – but I
would not do it again!
Space is a risky business. Why do it?
Space IS definitely a risky business. But the
reward is higher than the risk so that’s why we take it.
Do you have a message for boys and girls in Japan
who are interested in science and engineering?
Three words: Space. Is. Waiting.
Aside from mission objectives and tasks, what’s a
personal goal for this mission?
We have a lot of interesting missions to do, but my personal goal is to return
home with lots of fun stories.
What was it like to get the phone call to become
an astronaut?
It was 25 years ago, but I still remember the voice vividly. I got a call from
Dr. Mamoru Mohri, the very first JAXA astronaut, and he said “Welcome to the
Astronaut Corps.” When I got the call to be part of the Crew-1 mission, I was a
lot less nervous than when I was assigned to my first mission, but the
excitement remains the same.
Can you describe your crew mate Mike Hopkins in
one sentence?
He is a natural leader that takes care of the team really well, and he’s fun to
play around with.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars… just because!
Can you share
your favorite photo or video that you took in space?
My favorite photo is Mount Fuji because I see the mountain almost every day
when I was a child. It’s definitely breathtaking to see Mount Fuji from space.
What personal
items did you decide to pack for launch and why?
I have lots of family photos, and I would put it inside my sleep station.
Definitely one of the most challenging things about spaceflight is not experiencing
zero gravity, not the rocket, but time away from family.
How would you
describe spacewalking outside the space station?
It’s an excursion. The view of the Earth is just breathtaking because you are
just one glass away from the vacuum of space. There’s nothing between you and
Earth.
What are you
most excited about for the future of human space exploration?
I would say I’m most excited for interplanetary travel to become more common so
that the school kids can go to Mars on their field trip.
What would you say to someone looking to follow in
your footsteps?
Don’t worry, be happy!
How has spaceflight evolved since your first launch
and stay aboard the International Space Station in 2005?
This is definitely an exciting moment. We’re starting to see more players in
the game. SpaceX is the frontrunner, but soon we’ll see Boeing, Sierra Nevada
and Axiom. So the International Space Station will soon have more players
involved, and it will be a lot more fun!
Thank you for your time, Soichi, and good luck on your historic mission! Get to know a bit more about Soichi and his NASA astronaut crew mates Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, and Shannon Walker in the video above.
Watch LIVE launch coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 14 HERE.
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