Nicole Passonno Stott

Nicole Passonno Stott (US) is an engineer, retired astronaut turned artist, and founder of the Space for Art Foundation. Nicole has dedicated her life to inspire creative thinking about solutions to our planetary challenges, to raise awareness of the surprising interplay between science and art, and to promote the amazing work being done every day in space to improve life right here on Earth. As a NASA astronaut her experience includes two spaceflights and 104 days living and working in space on both the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle. She performed one spacewalk (10th female to do so), was the first person to fly the robotic arm to capture the free flying HTV cargo vehicle, she was the last crew member to fly to and from their ISS mission on a Space Shuttle, and she was a member of the crew of the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133. A personal highlight of Nicole's spaceflight was painting the first watercolor in space, which is now on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Stott is also a NASA Aquanaut, who in preparation for spaceflight and along with her NEEMO-9 crew, lived and worked during an 18-day and longest saturation mission to date on the Aquarius undersea habitat. Stott has featured in NASA TV education and outreach programs, the National Geographic One Strange Rock Series; and a Super Bowl LIV commercial promoting Girls Who Code. Her first book titled “Back to Earth” is currently in work.