Christina Koch is an American electrical engineer and a NASA astronaut. During her time working as an electrical engineer at NASA GSFC's Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, she contributed to scientific instruments on several NASA missions that studied astrophysics and cosmology. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius. Astronaut Christina Koch, six days after returning from a record 11-month stay aboard the International Space Station, said Wednesday she's re-adapting to gravity with no … Early Life and Education Christina Hammock Koch was born in 1979 and her place of birth is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Christina Koch Ethnicity. Her dream turned into reality in 2018, when she was designated to her first space flight, the 59th Expedition; a long-duration mission on the International Space Station. [2] Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T‐38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. [8], Christina was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan,[9] and raised in Jacksonville, North Carolina,[10] by parents Barbara Johnsen of Frederick, Maryland, and Ronald Hammock of Jacksonville. Summary: Christina Hammock Koch was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2013. Astronaut Christina Koch Opens Up About Spending 328 Days in Space — and Adjusting to Earth Life this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Koch is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina and resided in Livingston, Montana before relocating to Houston, Texas to join the Astronaut Corps. [1][2] She received Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University. Regardless, the seasoned astronauts can earn upward of … White. The isolation, absence of family and friends, and lack of new sensory inputs are all conditions that you must find a strategy to thrive within. She also worked as a member of the Firefighting Teams and Ocean and Glacier Search and Rescue Teams during her job as a Research Associate. "[15], From 2007 to 2009, Koch worked as an Electrical Engineer in the Space Department of the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University focusing on space science instrument development. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly still holds the all-time record with 340 days in space. Astronaut Christina Koch spent a record 11 months in space, the longest spaceflight of any woman. Posted Saturday, December 19, 2020 4:00 pm. During her time at ISS, Koch headed 6 spacewalks, contributing 42 hours and 15 min to her total Extravehicular activities (EVA). Biography Christina Koch the American astronaut, along with Jessica Meir, performed an historic spacewalk, outside the International Space Station, in October 2019.. Click here if you want to see this biography in Spanish translation. She returned to Earth on February 6 after 328 days – the longest single continuous stay in space for a woman, exceeding Peggy Whitson's 289 days. In December 2020, Koch was awarded an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree from her alma mater, North Carolina State University. Her mother studied biology, and her father, who is now a retired physician, studied chemistry and physics, and moreover, he had a keen interest in astronomy and astrophysics. [11] In 2012, she worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in two capacities: first as a Field Engineer at NOAA's Global Monitoring Division Baseline Observatory in Barrow Alaska, and then as Station Chief of the American Samoa Observatory. On November 2, 2000, a space shuttle carrying three astronauts docked at their temporary home. While in Antarctica, Koch served as a member of the Firefighting Teams and Ocean/Glacier Search and Rescue Teams. ", "Soyuz MS-12 docks with the Space Station", "It's unfortunate NASA canceled the all-female EVA, but it's the right decision", "NASA Astronauts Spacewalk Outside the International Space Station on Oct. 18", "Voor het eerst maakt vrouwelijk duo ruimtewandeling bij ISS", "NASA TV is Live Now Broadcasting First All-Woman Spacewalk", "Record-Setting NASA Astronaut, Crewmates Return from Space Station", "NASA Announces First Flight, Record-Setting Mission", "NASA astronaut to set record for longest spaceflight by a woman", "US astronaut to spend 11 months in space, set female record", "NASA astronaut Christina Koch returns to Earth after record mission", 5 Things You Didn't Know About Astronaut Christina Koch, NASA Astronaut Group 21, "The 8 Balls", 2013, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christina_Koch&oldid=1001087571, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics alumni, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 January 2021, at 05:21. [13][11] In 2001, she became a graduate of the NASA Academy program at GSFC. Her youth dream was to turn into a space explorer, which she turned out to be a lot sometime down the road. Speaking of Christina Koch net worth, multiple sources claim that civilian astronauts in NASA earn an average salary of $66,000 per year. She aspired to become an astronaut since her childhood. [3] She also did advanced study while working at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). [11] During this time, she also served as Adjunct Faculty at Montgomery College in Maryland and led a Physics Laboratory course. She is the daughter of Richard and Debra Roth. Astronaut Scholar, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, 2000 to 2001. She is married to Robert Koch. We asked astronaut Christina Koch, who knows better than anyone. Just before becoming an astronaut, she served with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as Station Chief for American Samoa. [11], Koch worked as a Research Associate in the United States Antarctic Program from 2004 to 2007, spending three-and-a-half years traveling the Arctic and Antarctic regions. [17], Koch was scheduled to perform her first EVA on March 29; this would have been the first all-female spacewalk alongside Anne McClain, but spacesuit sizing issues resulted in it being reassigned from McClain to Hague. It surpassed astronaut Peggy Whitson's previous record of 288 days. On October 18, 2019, Koch participated in the first-ever all-woman spacewalk with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir. Posted Saturday, December 19, 2020 4:00 pm led a Physics Laboratory course multiple sources claim civilian... Space on February 6, 2020 4:00 pm earn an average salary of $ 66,000 year., a space explorer, which she turned out to be a sometime! New experiences. ” for nearly an entire year, Christina Koch, who knows better than anyone astronaut... 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