NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, a University of British Columbia alumna, recently connected with current students from her post as commander of the International Space Station (ISS). Meir answered questions during a live downlink event, offering a unique glimpse into life and work aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013, Meir launched to the ISS in September 2023 as commander of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission, marking NASA's seventh operational crew rotation flight with SpaceX. Her mission, Expedition 70/71, involves conducting numerous scientific experiments and station maintenance operations. Meir previously served as a flight engineer on Expedition 61 and 62, which included her historic all-woman spacewalk in October 2019.
During the educational event, Meir discussed the challenges and wonders of living in microgravity, the importance of international collaboration in space exploration, and her academic journey from UBC to NASA. The ISS has been continuously inhabited for over two decades, serving as a platform for scientific discovery and technological development.
