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.
150: Space IS Nature with Daniel Fox
149: James Webb Space Telescope with RSE Dean Mikolajczyk
148: Inspiration from Erin and Chris Sembroski
147: The Creation Story of ThinkOrbital with Sebastian Asprella and Vojtech Holub
146: Sending Science to the Lunar Surface with Aegis Aerospace Principal Owner Stephanie Murphy
145: Author Patrick Mullane and Astronaut Mike Mullane
144: Tracking Apollo from Guam with Brian Riehle
143: Next Generation of Lunar Landing Space Suits with Dan Klopp
142: Commercial Space Stations! Orbital Reef, Axiom Space, and Starlab
141: Aim Higher with Christina Korp
140: William Shatner and Filming Movies in Space
139: Space Marketing with Izzy House
138: Zero-G and Yuri’s Night with Tim Bailey
137: Insights and Impressions from the Inspiration4 Launch
136: Jesse Forte Invites You to Say YES
135: Frank White Part Two
134: Frank White on Space Exploration and Human Evolution, 4th Edition of the Overview Effect
133: Wonders All Around with Bruce McCandless III
132: So You Want to be an Analog Astronaut?
131: Mund on the Moon: Featuring JJ Hastings, Commander, LunAresX Team
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