Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch spent 328 days aboard the International Space Station, setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman while advancing research on long-duration missions. She made history again on October 18, 2019, when she and Jessica Meir completed the first-ever all-female spacewalk, spending over seven hours replacing a failed battery. Now, she’s set to break another barrier as a mission specialist on Artemis II, becoming the first woman to fly around the moon.
“As a NASA astronaut, I have the privilege and responsibility to represent the American people as we conduct science aboard the International Space Station and prepare for a mission around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign,” Koch told Worth. “I’m proud to be part of a dedicated and talented team exploring space to advance our country’s scientific and industrial goals and showcase the incredible things we can do when we come together to do big things.”
Koch’s resilience and dedication to STEM have made her a role model for future women in science and technology. During her 328-day ISS mission, she engaged students through programs like the Genes in Space-6 experiment, the first to use CRISPR technology in space. Emphasizing the power of representation, she said, “Future space explorers need to see people who remind them of themselves.” Her achievements continue to prove that no field is out of reach.
