Abigail Harrison facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abigail Harrison
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Harrison in 2015
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| Born | June 13, 1997 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Education | Wellesley College (BA) |
| Occupation | Science communication |
| Employer | The Mars Generation |
| Known for | Astronaut Abby |
Abigail Harrison (born June 13, 1997), known to many as Astronaut Abby, is an American who loves to share her passion for space. She is a science communicator and an internet personality. Abigail is especially interested in the United States space program. She started a group called The Mars Generation, which is a nonprofit organization. Even though her nickname is Astronaut Abby, she is not an astronaut herself.
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Early Life and Education
Abigail Harrison was born in 1997 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. From a very young age, she dreamed of being the first person to walk on Mars. She went to public schools in Saint Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools. In 2019, Abigail graduated from Wellesley College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, studying astrobiology (which she designed herself) and Russian Area Studies.
What Does Astronaut Abby Do?
The Mars Generation Nonprofit
In 2015, Abigail Harrison started her own nonprofit organization called The Mars Generation. She is currently the President of its Executive Board. This group is an American non-governmental nonprofit organization. It works to get people excited about human space exploration. It also promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
The Mars Generation has three main programs:
- Future of Space Outreach: This program encourages people to support space exploration and STEM learning.
- Student Space Ambassador Leadership Program (SSA): This program helps students aged 13–24. It offers guidance for school and careers, and helps them develop leadership skills.
- Space Camp Scholarships: This program gives full scholarships to students who need financial help to attend U.S. Space Camp. To apply, students must be 15–17 years old. They need to show interest in space and have a talent for STEM subjects. They also need a recommendation from a teacher or mentor.
Authoring a Book
In January 2021, Abigail Harrison published a book with Penguin Random House. The book is titled "Dream Big! How To Reach For Your Stars". Both Abigail and Random House have said that all the money made from selling the book goes to The Mars Generation. This helps support her nonprofit organization's work.
Connecting with People Online
Abigail's online presence as Astronaut Abby began with a school project. In 8th grade, she did a National History Day project about the ISS. She created a Twitter account called AstronautAbby to talk to NASA employees. She wanted to get information for her project.
On May 28, 2013, Abigail went to see the Soyuz TMA-09M rocket launch. Her mentor, Astronaut Luca Parmitano, was on board, heading to the International Space Station. Abigail became Parmitano's Earth Liaison. This meant she shared his six-month experience of living in space with her followers on social media.
See also
In Spanish: Abigail Harrison para niños
