Former Astronaut Nicole Stott signs her book entitled ‘Back to Earth’ during her Fri., May 2, 2025, visit to the Cosmosphere CREDIT RICHARD SHANK
By Richard Shank
Retirement as a NASA Astronaut left Nicole Stott wondering how she might share her spaceflight experience with others. After some serious soul-searching, Stott co-founded an organization that connected space and the arts, and the world responded positively, even Russia.
On a Friday visit to Hutchinson for a tour of the Cosmosphere, with a stop at Disability Supports and The Clayworks, an organization involved in one of her notable projects.
Stott signed her book “Back to Earth” Friday evening before screening a 20-minute documentary entitled “Space for Art.”
Stott co-founded the Space Art Foundation, which she said is on a mission of Space, Art, and Healing. Her new endeavor has a Hutchinson connection.
“We are expanding our crew of ‘Artonauts—children creating art as a planetary community from hospitals, refugee centers, orphanages and schools around the world,” Stott said.
The Space Art Foundation is creating large-scale inspirational, space-themed art projects.
“This is raising awareness of our role as crewmates here on Spaceship Earth,” Stott said. “Our goal is to unite children to the healing power of art.”
Projects supported by the Space Art Foundation have spread to most nations in the world, including Russia. A number of children’s groups have built space-like suits out of fabric.
“Each suit is given a name,” Stott said.
Recently, clients of Disability Supports/The Clayworks in Hutchinson were part of a group creating a spacesuit named “Infinity” and displayed at the Friday evening event.
Stott said the suits used by astronauts flying in space are made from seven layers of materials. The children’s space suits are made from lightweight materials, and most can be folded up and placed inside an astronaut’s helmet.
“Several of the children’s suits were flown to the International Space Station, where astronauts were photographed wearing them,” Stott said. “I am hopeful ‘Infinity’ will one day be worn by an astronaut on the space station.”
“I am in awe of the families dealing with their children’s illnesses and who are involved in these art projects,” Stott said.
In a question-and-answer session following the documentary screening, Stott told how astronauts on the International Space Station work hard to stay in shape while in space, and spend two hours per day exercising.
“We experience some problems walking for a short period of time after flying in space,” Stott said. “While in space, we spend our time floating instead of walking.”
When asked about her favorite part of being an astronaut, Stott was quick to respond, “My favorite part is knowing that all of our work in space is about is about doing things to improve life on earth,” Stott said.
When asked how well she slept on the International Space Station, she replied, “I had the best sleep I have ever had in space. We sleep in sleeping bags that are tied to the ceiling. I never woke up and never moved until the alarm clock went off. It was amazing sleep.”
Stott can claim to have spent more than 103 days in space. Trivia buffs credit her with sending the first tweet from space in 2009. She resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Cosmosphere President and CEO Jim Remar said approximately 105,00 visitors from throughout the nation and world visit the Cosmosphere annually.
Visitors for the Friday evening event walked the corridors of this world-class attraction, and some seemed to marvel at one exhibit tracing the history of the Cosmosphere, which saw its origin in a poultry building on the Kansas State Fairgrounds where founder Patty Carey established a Planetarium.
“One attendee noted, “We have come a long way in 63 years.”
