A 1992 Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida solidified the technical foundation for Nicole Stott, who served as a mission specialist on STS-128 and STS-133. A 27-year veteran of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, she operated as a flight engineer during ISS Expedition 20 and Expedition 21 before concluding her agency tenure in 2015.
Early Career and Education
Stott graduated from Clearwater High School and completed coursework at St. Petersburg College. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1987. Her professional career commenced the same year at Pratt & Whitney in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she conducted structural analyses for advanced jet engine components within the Advanced Engines Group.
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In 1988, she joined the Kennedy Space Center as an Operations Engineer. She later served as a Vehicle Operations Engineer, NASA Convoy Commander, and Orbiter Project Engineer for Columbia. She contributed to the development of the Ground Processing Scheduling System, a commercial software product. Relocating to Huntington Beach, California, she acted as the NASA Project Lead for International Space Station truss elements before moving to the Johnson Space Center in 1998 to function as a Flight Simulation Engineer for the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
Spaceflight and Expedition Operations
Selected as an astronaut candidate in July 2000, Stott completed two years of training. She served as a CAPCOM for Expedition 10 and participated in the NEEMO 9 undersea mission in 2006, residing in the Aquarius habitat for 18 days. During Expedition 20 and 21, she performed the first spacewalk of the STS-128 mission and utilized a watercolor kit, becoming the first person to paint with watercolors in orbit. In 2009, she and Jeff Williams participated in the inaugural live NASA Tweetup from the station.
Post-Agency Endeavors
Following her retirement on June 1, 2015, Stott expanded her activities into public outreach and the arts. She authored the book Back to Earth and serves as a founding director of the Space for Art Foundation. She appeared in a 2020 commercial for Girls Who Code and narrated Glen Cortese's Voyager: A Journey to the Stars for the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra in 2022.
Fast facts
- Born: 1962, Albany
- Education: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Central Florida
- NASA Retirement: 1 June 2015
- First Spaceflight: STS-128
- Awards: NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2009)
- Awards: NASA Space Flight Medal (2009, 2010)
- Awards: Medal For Merit in Space Exploration (2011)
Questions readers ask
Did Nicole Stott work on the Space Shuttle?
Yes, she served in several capacities including Orbiter Project Engineer for Columbia and as a Flight Simulation Engineer for the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
Is Nicole Stott still working as an astronaut?
No, she retired from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on June 1, 2015.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Pratt & Whitney, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Educated at St. Petersburg College, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University and University of Central Florida
- Worked as astronaut and engineer
