Karen Nyberg | |
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| Born | Karen LuJean Nyberg (1969-10-07)October 7, 1969 (age 56) |
| Education | University of North Dakota (BS) University of Texas, Austin (MS) University of Texas, Austin (PhD) |
| Spouse | Doug Hurley |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
Time in space | 180d |
| Selection | NASA Group 18 (2000) |
| Missions | STS-124 Soyuz TMA-09M (Expedition 36/37) |
Mission insignia |    |
| Retirement | March 31, 2020 |
| Website | Official website |
Karen LuJean Nyberg (born October 7, 1969) is an Americanmechanical engineer and retiredNASAastronaut. Nyberg became the 50th woman in space on her first mission in 2008. Nyberg holds aPh.D. in mechanical engineering. She started her space career in 1991 and spent a total of 180 days in space in 2008 and 2013 as amission specialist onSTS-124 and aflight engineer onSoyuz TMA-09M.
Nyberg was born on October 7, 1969, inParkers Prairie, Minnesota,[1] to parents Kenneth and Phyllis Nyberg. She graduated from the public high school inHenning, Minnesota, in 1988.[2]
Nyberg graduatedsumma cum laude with a bachelor's degree inmechanical engineering from theUniversity of North Dakota in 1994. She continued her studies at theUniversity of Texas at Austin, earning a master of science in mechanical engineering in 1996. Her studies centered on human thermoregulation and experimental metabolic testing and control, and focusing on the control of thermal neutrality in space suits. This work at the Austin BioHeat Transfer Laboratory led to her doctorate inmechanical engineering in 1998, also from theUniversity of Texas at Austin.[2][3]
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She was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in July 2000. After two years of training and evaluation she qualified as a mission specialist and was assigned for technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch. She was crew support astronaut for theExpedition 6 crew during their six-month mission on theISS. In July 2006, Nyberg took part inNEEMO 10, a deep-sea training and simulation exercise at theAquariusunderwater laboratory to help NASA prepare for the return of astronauts to theMoon and crewed missions toMars. Nyberg and her crewmates lived and worked underwater for seven days.[4][5]
Nyberg was in the crew ofSTS-124, which flew to the ISS in May 2008. This was the second of three flights to deliver components to complete the JapaneseKibō laboratory.[2] In May 2009, she was assigned to theSTS-132 mission, which launched in May 2010,[6] but had to be replaced three months after assignment due to a temporary medical condition.[7] Nyberg then served in a technical role until she received her next assignment, as a flight engineer on theExpedition 36/37.
In 2013 Nyberg served as aflight engineer on ISSExpedition 36 andExpedition 37, having launched onSoyuz TMA-09M. On the 50th anniversary on June 16, 2013, ofVostok 6, the first spaceshot by a woman,Valentina Tereshkova, Nyberg was one of only two women then in space, the other being Chinese astronautWang Yaping aboard theTiangong-1 on theShenzhou 10 mission.[8] In September she posted a photograph of astuffed dinosaur she had created in orbit from space station scraps, which is thought to be the first stuffed animal handcrafted in space.[9] Stuffed animals are often taken to space, for sentimental purposes but also because they are good zero-gravity indicators: they start to float when entering the orbit. During this mission, Nyberg completed diverse tasks, for example simulating an emergency scenario training.[10]
Since the end of her 2013 mission, Nyberg has worked for NASA in the Space Shuttle branch, the Exploration branch, and as Chief of the Robotics branch.[11]
Nyberg retired from NASA in March 2020.[12][13]
Nyberg's hometown isVining, Minnesota. She is ofNorwegian ancestry.[14][15] She is married to fellow astronautDoug Hurley and they have a son.[16] They reside together inLeague City, Texas. Her recreational interests include running, sewing and quilting,[17] drawing and painting, backpacking, playing piano, and spending time with her family.[2]
She has won a host of awards including the UND Young Alumni Achievement Award (2004); Space Act Award (1993); NASA JSC Patent Application Award (1993); NASA Tech Briefs Award (1993); NASA JSC Cooperative Education Special Achievement Award (1994); Joyce Medalen Society of Women Engineers Award (1993–94); D.J. Robertson Award of Academic Achievement (1992) and University of North Dakota School of Engineering & Mines Meritorious Service Award (1991–1992).[2]
She was awarded theNASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2014. It is the highest form of recognition byNASA for Government employees.[18]
NASA Astronaut Group 17 ← NASA Astronaut Group 18 →NASA Astronaut Group 19 | |||||||
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