Up, Up and Away...She's Off!!

A few years ago, when we were visiting our friends Linda and Joe in California, Linda’s daughter Leigh and two of her friends joined us one day. Leigh is a career Marine, a helicopter test pilot, as is her friend Jasmin. We learned that afternoon that Jasmin (Jazz or Jaws) aspired to becoming an astronaut and was applying for NASA’s training program. We were fascinated and amazed, and through Leigh, began to follow Jasmin’s progress.

Over the next few years, Jasmin married, had twin daughters, and entered NASA’s vigorous and intensive training program. On occasion, we saw brief video clips of Jasmin at work learning what to expect and what to do in space.

All very exciting stuff!

Fast forward to 2023 when Jasmin was selected to join three other astronauts as the next Spacex crew. They would launch from Houston’s Johnson Space Center, spend the next six months at the International Space Center, conduct scientific studies, also report about the realities of living in space, and carry out repairs and replace necessary equipment at the orbiting station.

And... Not only was Jasmin a member of the crew, but additionally, she had been designated as the crew LEADER for the launch and the journey to the ISS! Moreover, she and another young woman were scheduled to exit the station and complete mechanical asks outside, ACTUALLY IN SPACE!

Additionally, NASA, bless them, enabled those on Earth to witness the entire day-long SPACE WALK while it was on-going. Via microphones and cameras, including cameras in each woman’s helmet, we on Earth could follow exactly what was happening.

Outside - in space! Awesome, exciting, difficult to believe! What an experience to behold!!