Jeanette Epps
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PhD, Former NASA Astronaut & Speaker
05/15/2026
Being an astronaut is not about being fearless.
You still feel pressure.
You still feel uncertainty.
You still face environments your body and mind have never experienced before.
The difference is learning how to function anyway.
What’s a mental skill life taught you to build?
There are moments that are impossible to fully explain.
Launch is one of them.
Your body feels the speed.
Your mind understands the risk.
And then, at some point, you realize you are no longer connected to Earth.
That shift changes something in you.
Not just because of the view, but because of what it takes to get there: years of training, trust, preparation, teamwork, and the ability to stay present in the middle of something your brain is still trying to understand.
Space has a way of making the impossible feel very real.
Behind every dream, there is often someone who believed first.
To every mother who speaks courage into her children before the world does: thank you.
Happy Mother’s Day. 🤍
Answering questions from students while orbiting Earth at 17,500 mph.
Ask an Astronaut — Part 5 🚀
This one’s about what zero gravity actually feels like.
What would you ask an astronaut living 400 km above Earth?
Follow for more answers from space.
05/07/2026
It was a pleasure returning to Binghamton University last week to speak with students, researchers, and families during Research Days and the Festival of the Arts.
One of the things I wanted students to understand is that spaceflight is never an individual accomplishment. Every launch, every experiment, every mission depends on people working together across disciplines, backgrounds, and perspectives.
During astronaut training, I learned that teamwork isn’t optional in extreme environments. Whether we were underwater during analog missions, training in caves, flying T-38s, or living aboard the International Space Station, success depended on trust, adaptability, and learning how to work together under pressure.
I also shared something I’ve thought about often since returning from orbit: exploring space and taking care of Earth are connected. Looking back at our planet from the Cupola reminded me how interconnected we really are.
Thank you, Binghamton University, for the warm welcome and thoughtful conversations. Stay curious. Keep learning. And don’t underestimate how far perseverance and community can take you. 🚀
May 5 marks National Astronaut Day.
In 1961, Alan Shepard made history.
But moments like that are never just about a single flight.
They represent years of preparation and the work of an entire team.
No one gets there alone.
And knowing who you are and where you want to go matters just as much.
Happy National Astronaut Day.
At 9 years old, I set my mind on becoming an aerospace engineer.
Not an astronaut.
I couldn’t see myself up there.
And still, I spent nearly eight months in space.
235 days orbiting Earth.
I want to offer you something I didn’t always have: representation. Permission to dream bigger.
If you’ve ever wondered if there’s space for you. There is.
Happy National Space Day. 🚀💫
04/29/2026
Before I ever left Earth, I had to prove I was ready for it. 🌎
That meant spending 9 days living 50 feet underwater — and later training underground in the caves of Slovenia.
These were analog missions, designed to prepare us for the realities of spaceflight by testing how we think, adapt, communicate, and work together in extreme conditions.
I learned how to stay flexible when plans changed.
How to communicate clearly when assumptions could create risk.
And how to show up for the team — even when everyone was tired, uncomfortable, and far outside their normal environment.
Tag someone who would say yes to a mission like this. 🚀
Some of the most interesting work on the International Space Station is happening in the background.
We’re studying how the human body changes in microgravity.
Testing new technologies that we’ll need for longer missions.
Running experiments that can improve life back on Earth.
You’re not just living in space… you’re part of the research.
What would you want to study if you were up there?
Tell me in the comments 👇
Follow for more questions from orbit.
For many students, a career in STEM can feel out of reach.
What I saw when I was back home for the Micron STEM event in Central New York reminded me how powerful exposure really is.
When you can ask questions, explore, and understand how to get there, something shifts.
No matter where you come from,
there are opportunities and people that can help you get where you’re dreaming of, if you’re willing to take that first step.
Follow along for more from life in space and beyond. 🚀
04/22/2026
It was a pleasure to visit ESTEC in the Netherlands last month and reconnect with my colleagues at the European Space Agency. 🇳🇱
One of the highlights of my mission on the ISS was operating the first metal 3D printer in space alongside Sunita Williams. During our time in orbit, we helped produce the first-ever metal part in microgravity, an important step toward the future of in-space manufacturing and long-duration exploration. 🛰️🔬
This technology was developed by ESA, and visiting ESTEC, the agency’s technical centre where much of this innovation is designed, tested, and refined, connected that work directly to the teams behind it. It’s where the groundwork happens before these systems ever reach orbit.
These photos show what that work looked like in orbit, focused, hands-on, and requiring constant attention to detail in microgravity.
Grateful to Director Dietmar Pilz, the entire ESA team, and engineers like Advenit Makaya, whose work helps bring these technologies from concept to orbit. These milestones are the result of years of dedication and collaboration. The work we do in space is only possible because of the incredible teams on the ground who make it happen.
It was wonderful to reconnect, reflect on what we accomplished together, and look ahead to what’s next.
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