Christina Koch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christina Koch
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Koch in 2023
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| Born |
Christina Hammock
January 29, 1979 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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328 days, 13 hours, 58 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 21 (2013) |
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Total EVAs
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6 |
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Total EVA time
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42 hours, 15 minutes |
| Missions | Soyuz MS-12/MS-13 (Expedition 59/60/61) |
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Mission insignia
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Christina Koch (born January 29, 1979) is an American engineer and NASA astronaut. She is known for her amazing achievements in space. She holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. She was also part of the first all-female spacewalk.
Christina Koch launched to the International Space Station on March 14, 2019. She served as a Flight Engineer for almost a year. On October 18, 2019, she and Jessica Meir made history. They were the first two women to do a spacewalk together. They worked outside the space station to fix a power unit.
On December 28, 2019, Christina broke the record for the longest time a woman has spent continuously in space. She stayed in space for 328 days. She returned to Earth on February 6, 2020.
Christina Koch has been chosen for the Artemis II mission. This mission plans to fly around the Moon in 2026. If successful, she will be the first woman to travel beyond Earth's orbit. Time magazine included her in its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Christina Koch was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Her parents are Barbara Johnsen and Ronald Hammock. From a young age, Christina dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
She graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in 1997. Then, she went to North Carolina State University. There, she earned two Bachelor of Science degrees. These were in electrical engineering and physics in 2001. She also earned a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering in 2002. In 2001, she completed the NASA Academy program. This program was at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
Preparing for Space: Research and Training
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Christina Koch has worked on developing science tools for space. She also worked as an engineer in remote scientific areas. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, she helped create instruments. These tools were for NASA missions that studied astrophysics and cosmology. She also taught a Physics Laboratory course at Montgomery College.
From 2004 to 2007, Christina worked in the United States Antarctic Program. She spent three and a half years exploring the Arctic and Antarctic regions. She even spent a winter at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. There, she experienced extremely cold temperatures, as low as -79.4 degrees Celsius (-111 degrees Fahrenheit). She also worked at Palmer Station. In Antarctica, she was part of the Firefighting Teams. She also joined the Ocean/Glacier Search and Rescue Teams. She said that living at the South Pole was tough. It meant going months without seeing the sun. She was with the same group of people. There were no new mail or fresh food deliveries. She learned to handle the isolation and lack of new experiences.
From 2007 to 2009, Christina worked as an Electrical Engineer. This was at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. She helped build instruments for NASA missions. These instruments studied radiation particles. Some missions included Juno and Van Allen Probes. Later, she worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She was a Field Engineer in Alaska. Then, she became the Station Chief of the American Samoa Observatory.
Becoming an Astronaut
In June 2013, NASA chose Christina Koch to be an astronaut. She was part of NASA Astronaut Group 21. She finished her training in July 2015. This meant she was ready for space missions. Her training included learning about the International Space Station. She also practiced spacewalks and robotics. She had physical training and learned to fly a T-38 jet. She even had water and wilderness survival training.
On March 14, 2019, Christina launched to the International Space Station. She flew on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft. She joined the Expedition 59, 60, and 61 crews.
Christina Koch was supposed to do her first spacewalk on March 29. This would have been the first all-female spacewalk with Anne McClain. However, due to spacesuit sizing issues, the plan changed. Later, on October 18, she made history with Jessica Meir. They performed the first all-female spacewalk. They worked on upgrading the space station's power systems. They did two more spacewalks together in January 2020.
Christina's mission was extended to February 2020. She returned to Earth on February 6. She had spent 328 days in space. This broke the record for the longest continuous space stay by a woman. Her extended mission helped NASA study how long space travel affects women.
Christina Koch was chosen for NASA's upcoming Artemis program. On April 3, 2023, she was announced as a mission specialist for the Artemis II crew. This mission plans to fly around the Moon in 2025. They will travel 6,400 miles beyond the Moon. She will fly with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover. Also joining them will be Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Personal Life
Christina Koch lives in Texas with her husband, Robert Koch. She enjoys many outdoor activities. These include backpacking, rock climbing, paddling, sailing, and running. She also likes yoga, community service, photography, surfing, and travel.
Awards and Honors
Christina Koch has received many awards for her work.
- NASA Group Achievement Award for the Juno Mission (2012)
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Invention of the Year nominee (2009)
- United States Congress Antarctic Service Medal (2005)
- NASA Group Achievement Award for the Suzaku Mission (2005)
- Astronaut Scholar, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (2000-2001)
In December 2020, her old university, North Carolina State University, gave her an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree.
See also
- List of Artemis astronauts
