Dr. Karen Nyberg is an engineer, astronaut, and artist who, through nearly thirty years of experience in human spaceflight, has gained an appreciation for the value of working within and across diverse political ideologies, cultural values, and world views to advance critical missions.
In this episode of Casual Space, Beth and Karen delve into Karen's journey from learning how to sew by her mother, to creating art inspired by her space missions. Karen discusses her love for quilting, which she began during graduate school, and how the breathtaking views from the space station influenced her artwork. She recounts her interactions with fellow astronaut-artist Alan Bean and the challenges of finding creative time in space and making a special dinosaur quilt for her son. Additionally, Karen shares her experiences with space food, her fabric design work, and her passion for trail running. The episode provides a glimpse into how Karen balanced her professional duties with her artistic pursuits and personal life, both on Earth and in orbit.
Check out Karen’s artwork and more: https://karennyberg.com/
About Karen:
Karen was selected as a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps in 2000. She made her first trip to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008, during the height of International Space Station (ISS) construction, delivering and installing the Japanese Laboratory. On her second spaceflight in 2013, Karen launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and lived and worked at ISS for 166 days.
Prior to astronaut selection, Karen worked as an Environmental Control Systems Engineer at the Johnson Space Center where she led several design and analysis initiatives in the areas of space vehicle and space suit thermal and environmental control. Recently retired from NASA, Karen is currently pursuing interests in the areas of conservation and sustainability, fully appreciating the responsibility for innovation and technology to strive to meet those needs.
Karen received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota and graduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and has been honored with the highest alumni award from each alma mater.
Karen lives in Park City, Utah with her husband, Astronaut Doug Hurley, their son, Jack, and two sweet dogs, Leo and Luke.
50: Stuart Martin: How Catapult Centers Work to Transform the UK’s Capability for Innovation
49: Ron Lopez: Creating a Solution for Orbital Sustainability with Astroscale
48: Mike French from Aerospace Industries Association
47: First All-Woman Spacewalk celebration with Beth and RSE Dean Mikolajczyk
46: Urban Legends from Space with author Bob King
45: Space Policy with Cara Cavanaugh
44: Exoplanets! With Resident Space Expert, Dean Mikolajczyk
43: Making Contact with author Sarah Scoles
42: NanoRacks CEO Jeffrey Manber; Commercial Space Entrepreneur and Pioneer
41: Soonish with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith
40: Hunting Ghost Particles with Particle Physicist Jessica Esquivel
39: Astronomer, Author and Artist Tyler Nordgren
38: NASA Successes from Failures, PART 1
37: NASA Mission Control Flight Director Ed Van Cise
36: Flying Along with Captain Mark Hardcastle
35: Robert Feierbach on Rockets, Balloons and Satellite Access with the Swedish Space Corporation
34: Computers! With Resident Space Expert Dean Mikolajczyk
33: Iconic Space Innovations with author Charles Pappas
32: "First on the Moon- The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Experience” with author Rod Pyle
31: "Eight Years to the Moon" with Nancy Atkinson
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