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News & Media Debrief: Nicole Stotts

Debrief: Nicole Stotts

Out-of-this-world artist

October 1, 2016
Nicole Stott’s biography reads like a textbook inspirational story. Despite losing her father in an aircraft accident while she was still in high school, Stott became a successful pilot, and ultimately an astronaut. Stott started at a local junior college, eventually earned her master’s degree, worked as an aerospace engineer, and flew two missions to the International Space Station. Now retired from NASA, Stott finds her inspiration in art and advocating for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.
Nicole Stott
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Who: Nicole Stott
Occupation: Speaker, artist
Hours: 103 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes in space
Extra: Follow Stott on Twitter @Astro_Nicole and on Facebook
For information on AOPA's High School Symposium visit the website.

Stott will speak at AOPA's annual High School Aviation Symposium in November.
Started in aviation… As long as I can remember there was some form of airplane in progress in our garage. As a family we spent a lot of our time hanging out at the airport because of my dad. I was really blessed to be exposed to that.

Overcoming a tragedy… Dad passed away in an airplane a week before my fifteenth birthday. I feel like he’s living vicariously through me in heaven. His passing helped me think about flying in a different way. I wanted to know how things fly. It made aerospace engineering an emotional choice.

The joy of space… Everything about it was better than I thought it was going to be. And I had very high expectations. I’m so thankful for the pictures and videos. Watching my friends on TV now, it all looks so normal to me.

Favorite airplane… I had to have so many hours a quarter in the T–38. To be physically and mentally in a place where flying is a fundamental part of what you’re doing has been such a joy. One of the hardest decisions on whether to retire from the astronaut corps was losing the T–38. The Skybolt that my dad built is important to me. I have vivid memories of doing aerobatics over the beach.

Advice for students… Get out and meet the people at the airport. The kind of people who live there. Just talk to them. Learn from them. Appreciate the experiences that they’ve had.

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