posted 06-01-2015 06:39 PM               

As a retired NASA Astronaut, Nicole is pursuing her next adventure as a full time Artist. Inspired by her spaceflights, she is using her artwork to share the awesome beauty she experienced through the windows of the Space Shuttle and Space Station and the visor of her spacesuit, and to promote the amazing things we're doing everyday in Space that benefit us all right here on Earth. She is also looking forward to spending more time with her family and to actively supporting STEAM/STEM educational organizations.

posted 06-05-2015 10:38 AM               

Astronaut Nicole Stott Retires From NASA

After 27 years with the space agency, Astronaut Nicole Stott is retiring from NASA. Stott, who flew two spaceflight missions, including a long-duration mission on the International Space Station (ISS), plans to pursue a career as a full-time artist and advocate for science, technology, engineering, math and art (STEM/STEAM) education.

"NASA's Flight Operations team wishes Nicole the very best in her new endeavors. Nicole has always cared deeply about America, our youth, and the importance of STEM education and inspiration," said Brian Kelly, director for the Flight Operations Directorate at Johnson Space Center. "Her positive approach, knowledge, experience and fun style will serve her very well in her future pursuits."

Stott was born in Albany, New York, and her hometown is Clearwater, Florida. She received degrees from both Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and University of Central Florida before joining NASA as an operations engineer in the Orbiter Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.

During her time at Kennedy, she held a variety of positions associated with the Space Shuttle Program including Shuttle Flow Director for Endeavour, Orbiter Project Engineer for Columbia, NASA Convoy Commander for space shuttle landings and Vehicle Operations Engineer, preparing space shuttles for their next mission. She also worked at Huntington Beach, California, for two years as part of the ISS Hardware Integration Office as a program lead between the flight hardware manufacturing site and launch site at Kennedy.

In 1998, she transitioned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to work as a Flight Simulation Engineer on the Shuttle Training Aircraft helping train astronaut pilots to land the space shuttle.

She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000. She held numerous assignments, including as a crew member on the undersea NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 9 mission, for which Stott still holds the women's world record for the longest saturation dive of 18 days, before being assigned to her first spaceflight mission.

In 2009, Stott flew aboard space shuttle Discovery STS-128 to the space station for a long-duration mission. As part of her 91 days supporting scientific research in space, Stott conducted a nearly seven-hour-long space walk and she also guided the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm for the first track and capture of a visiting cargo vehicle. At the completion of her mission, returning on the space shuttle Atlantis, she was the last station crewmember to return to Earth via a space shuttle.

She flew again in 2011, as a mission specialist on STS-133, the 39th and final mission for space shuttle Discovery. During the 13-day flight, the crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), completing the U.S. assembly portion of the ISS.

Stott returned to Kennedy for a one-year assignment as the Astronaut Office representative to the Commercial Crew Program and the team responsible for selecting contractors to build our next U.S. human-rated spacecraft. In her most recent assignment at Johnson, Stott served as Chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office in the Astronaut Office/Flight Operations Directorate. Her last day with NASA was May 31.

posted 07-10-2015 10:20 AM               

A few weeks ago, after almost 30 years with the space agency, Stott retired to become a full-time artist and advocate for STEAM education.

posted 07-10-2015 10:49 AM               

The works, which will adopt a "new media" approach, consist of creative manipulations of digital photographs. Stott said she wants to use her artwork as a vehicle to educate students about careers in science, technology, engineering, art and math.

These artworks, Stott said, afford her the opportunity to educate students and others about the wonders of space, science and technology.

...if all goes according to Stott's plan, her work will be featured in physical galleries across the Tampa Bay area and elsewhere. But right now, this is an undertaking that is still in the prototype phase.

posted 09-10-2015 11:23 AM               

A painting in honor of 6 year anniversary of STS-128 Discovery launch. First spaceflight for me and Kevin Ford and Jose Hernandez; along side veterans CJ Sturckow, Pat Forrester, Christer Fuglesang, and Danny Olivas. Good times!

When I was in space, I was blessed to see Earth in a whole new and inspirational way. Through my artwork I hope to share that incredible beauty and awesomeness with you.

Today, the first in a series of pieces - my interpretation of those incredible views that inspired me.

The Bahamas, Tongue of the Ocean

Huge thanks to Anne and A.I. Gallery for displaying my piece, The Wave, at START art fair 2015 at Saatchi Art Gallery in London. If you're in London this week 9/10-13, please stop by ground floor, Booth 4.4 and see all the beautiful work A.I. Gallery has on display.

posted 12-14-2015 12:36 AM               

Thank you so much for joining me here! I'm excited about this site and the opportunity to share my artwork and spaceflight experience with you. And I'm really happy to be able to take you along with me on this next journey of Discovery.

posted 05-13-2016 11:39 AM               

My first #Art Exhibit! #TheArtisticAstronaut @TheSayleGallery 2 weeks from today #IsleOfMan #eARThfromspace

posted 05-13-2016 02:55 PM               

Shortly after retiring from NASA I had the very special opportunity to meet one of my heroes of Spaceflight and Art Alan Bean ~ Artist, Astronaut, Moonwalker.

A huge thanks to my friend and fellow astronaut Anna Fisher for making the introductions. Al welcomed our visit to his studio. I can't say enough about his enthusiasm for his art and his humble nature, or about his willingness to answer all of my questions and share his experience as an artist (and as an astronaut who transitioned to artist) with me. Needless to say I am in awe of and inspired by him and his work, and I'm thankful for his friendship.

He is one of the most talented painters ever, and his artwork presents his spaceflight experience to you like a beautiful gift he wants to share.

posted 07-08-2016 08:47 PM               

Astronaut-turned-artist Nicole Stott shares view from space in paintings

Nicole Stott would really like it if she could find her paint kit.

A small watercolor set no bigger than a deck of cards, she knows the general location of where she last left it, she just can no longer go there to look for it.

"I did not think about bringing my little watercolor set home with me," Stott admitted in a recent interview. "I left it there thinking other people might want to paint..."

"...in space," she quickly adds.

posted 03-10-2020 10:52 AM               

ILC Dover Welcomes Veteran Astronaut, Nicole Stott, as Senior Technical Advisor for Aerospace Division

ILC Dover is proud to announce that NASA astronaut and Founder of the Space for Art Foundation, Nicole Stott, has agreed to become a Senior Technical Advisor for the Space Systems Division.

As a veteran astronaut, Nicole's 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 H-II Transfer Vehicle, and she was a member of the crew of the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133.

Following her second spaceflight, Nicole returned to Kennedy Space Center (where she'd worked for ten years as a NASA engineer and manager for the Space Shuttle Program before astronaut selection in 2000), for a one-year assignment as the Astronaut Office representative to the Commercial Crew Program and the team responsible for selecting contractors to build the next U.S. human-rated spacecraft. In her most recent assignment at Johnson Space Center, Nicole served as Chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office in the Astronaut Office/Flight Operations Directorate. She retired from NASA in 2015.

Nicole received degrees from both Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Central Florida before joining NASA.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the ILC Dover team," said Nicole. "During my time as an astronaut, I enjoyed the opportunity to perform a spacewalk in an ILC Dover EVA spacesuit and to evaluate various ILC Dover designed and manufactured advanced EVA spacesuits, and since 2015 I have worked closely with them and am very thankful for their support of several Space for Art Foundation projects. Joining their team as a consultant feels like a natural next step, and I'm excited to see what the ILC Dover engineering leadership and expertise makes possible in space for the future."

"I am very excited to welcome Nicole to ILC Dover," said Patricia Stoll, ILC Dover's Vice President of Space Systems. "Her vast experience will strengthen our Space Systems team and ensure that ILC Dover continues to provide the best solutions to make human and commercial spaceflight achievable and successful."