Jessica Watkins

The table is set for Exp 68! We’re ready for you, Crew-5.

Last week we said goodbye to our Exp 67 crewmates and friends @olegmks, @denis_mks, and @sergkorsakov, but as they say, when one hatch closes another one opens. Getting to welcome our 🐢 classmate Frank Rubio to @Space_Station with his gold astronaut pin was a joy and an honor.

We put the human in human spaceflight this week as test subjects for @esa’s GRASP and GRIP experiments. These human research studies are exploring the role of gravity in hand-eye coordination and motor control, helping us prepare for future missions further into the system.

Review of the @Space_Station gym: Weird equipment- the bike has no seat, the treadmill is on the wall, and there are no weights…but the atmosphere is out of this world. 5 stars.

We Are Going. Launch window for @nasa’s Artemis l test flight to the Moon opens today at 8:33am EDT. Hoping to catch a glimpse from the @Space_Station, where for over two decades we’ve been laying the foundation to enable these next giant leaps. Go Artemis! 📸: @johnkrausphotos

Big thanks to yesterday’s geomagnetic storm for the front row tickets to the light show, and to @Astro_FarmerBob for capturing it! Watching the aurora dance around us in the Cupola was spectacular indeed.

Reason number 5280 why I’m grateful to call Boulder, CO home: the Flatirons make it easy to spot from the @Space_Station! A gorgeous view from every elevation.

On the @MarsCuriosity rover team, scientists and engineers across the world work hand-in-hand to take giant leaps, find creative solutions, and accomplish the impossible daily, and we strive to do just that here on the @Space_Station. Happy 10th landing anniversary, Curiosity!

Just another day in the life on @Space_Station, doing microscopy on the ceiling. Our Lab module is jam-packed with science, but access to 3 dimensions opens up a lot more space! Here, I'm checking out how immune cells age in microgravity in support of the Immunosenescence study.

While a lot of new science keeps us busy inside @Space_Station, important science is being conducted outside the station as well. @NASAJPL payload EMIT hitched a ride on @csa_asc Canadarm2 to its new home where it will study dust composition and its effects on Earth’s climate.

Feels like Christmas in July up here!

Suddenly 250 miles up doesn’t seem so far when galaxies in @NASAWebb's incredible first images are 290 million light-years away! #UnfoldTheUniverse

Last week I had the honor of harvesting the plants we've been growing as part of the XROOTS experiment, which uses hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to grow crops without soil. Just one of the many ways we use the @Space_Station as a testbed for future exploration!

Let Freedom ring. Photo credit: @johnkrausphotos, capturing our #Crew4 @SpaceX Dragon capsule, Freedom, on launch day

Had a great time watching the @Hou_Sabercats leave it all on the pitch in the @usmlr Western Conference Final rugby match last weekend. Not a bad view from WAY up in the nosebleeds!

One of my favorite parts about being in orbit is getting to observe geologic features on Earth from a planetary perspective. A great example is the Grand Canyon – truly grand both from afar and up close, but Valles Marineris on Mars is 4x as long, 4.5x as deep, and 20x as wide!

Happy Juneteenth! To celebrate, check out @NASA's new documentary "The Color of Space", showcasing the stories of Black astronauts. go.nasa.gov/3zLkd5j

Setting out to capture photos of Los Angeles, my former home, this weekend, it was hard to miss the smoke filling the valley near Wrightwood, CA. Our thoughts and prayers are with all who are affected by the #SheepFire.

As beautiful as the Earth is, I can't seem to take my eyes off of the Moon. Every moonset on @Space_Station brings us one step closer to earthrise on the Moon as we conduct scientific research and develop new technologies that will help pave the way to the lunar surface.

"There's no sweeter sound on the @Space_Station than the sound of a working toilet." -@OlegMKS Each member of our crew brings unique skillsets to the table, but we all have to learn to be jacks of all trades, including space plumbing!