On October 18, 2019, Jessica Meir and Christina Koch conducted the first all-female spacewalk, marking a significant milestone in orbital operations. This event occurred during the crew member's tenure on the International Space Station, where she served as a flight engineer for Expedition 61 and Expedition 62, launching aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft.
Academic Foundations and Early Research
Born in Caribou, Maine, in 1977, Meir pursued interests in space and biology early in life. She attended a youth space camp at Purdue University at age 13. Following her undergraduate studies at Brown University, she earned a Master of Space Studies from the International Space University. She later completed a Ph.D. in marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2009. Her doctoral research focused on the physiological mechanics of emperor penguins and northern elephant seals in deep-diving conditions.
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Meir's scientific career involved rigorous field study in extreme environments. She conducted research at Penguin Ranch on McMurdo Sound in Antarctica, observing penguins while diving under ice. Later, as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia, she studied bar-headed geese to understand how their physiology supports migration over the Himalayas under low-oxygen conditions. She also held an appointment as an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.
NASA Career and Space Analogues
Before her selection as an astronaut candidate in 2013, Meir supported NASA as an experiment support scientist for the Human Research Facility at Johnson Space Center. She participated in the NEEMO 4 mission in 2002, serving as an aquanaut in the Aquarius underwater habitat near Key Largo. In 2016, she undertook further training in the ESA CAVES course, an international program utilizing cave environments to simulate space exploration conditions.
Orbital Missions and Leadership
Meir launched to the International Space Station in 2019. Beyond her historic 2019 spacewalk, she participated in extensive maintenance tasks on the station. During Expedition 74, she performed a spacewalk with Christopher Williams to repair the 58-foot-long Canadarm2. She assumed command of the station during Expedition 75 in July 2026.
Fast facts
- Born: 1977
- Citizenship: United States; Sweden
- Ph.D.: Marine Biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Space Flight: Soyuz MS-15
- Languages: American English; Modern Hebrew; Swedish
- Maine Women's Hall of Fame: 2026
- Honorary Doctor: Luleå University of Technology, 2020
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Jessica Meir study before becoming an astronaut?
She specialized in marine biology and comparative physiology, specifically researching the diving capabilities of penguins and seals, as well as the high-altitude flight of geese.
Did Jessica Meir participate in any undersea missions?
Yes, in 2002 she served as an aquanaut during the NASA-NOAA NEEMO 4 mission, living for five days in the Aquarius underwater laboratory.
Achievements
- Maine Women's Hall of Fame — 2026
- Affiliated with Harvard University, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Harvard Medical School
- Educated at Brown University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and International Space University
- Worked as marine biologist, explorer and aircraft pilot
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