DENVER — Major Nichole Ayers is living out her childhood dreams in outer space.
On Thursday, Denver7 got the chance to interview the NASA astronaut, who is currently aboard the International Space Station.
“It never gets old to be able to hang out on the wall or go into a module and talk to somebody who's on the ceiling,” she said, demonstrating the lack of gravity aboard the station.
Originally from the Colorado Springs area, Ayers is also a U.S. Air Force pilot who has flown F-22 fighter jets.
“Growing up right there in Colorado, you know, I got to see the Thunderbirds fly over every year,” said Ayers, who went to Woodland Park High School before going to the U.S. Air Force Academy. “I used to drag my family out east of Colorado Springs to get away from the city lights to watch meteor showers. And so, I was always fascinated by it.”
Ayers credits her mentors and community in Colorado for being a catalyst for her becoming an astronaut.
“I had some amazing experiences in school,” she said. “I had some great teachers that encouraged me when I said I was interested in math and science, and I think I had some amazing coaches, as well. So I think that being part of a team and learning how to take care of other people was a huge part of what got me here today.”
She also said the state itself helped her find her path.
“We're right there in the mountains,” Ayers explained. “We grew up camping and hiking and stuff, and so the desire to go explore and see something that I haven't seen and figure out what's out in the world, or universe, was fostered right there in Colorado.”
Ayers said it’s "amazing how quickly the body adapts” to the microgravity of outer space.
“It takes a little while for your brain to accept the fact that you're floating,” she said. “You get the fluid shift. So without gravity, you know, a lot of the fluid shifts up in your body and up into the brain area. And so, you kind of feel a little bit congested sometimes, and maybe your taste buds get a little dulled because your sense of smell gets a little dulled. But, overall, you kind of feel normal, minus the fact that you're floating.”
- Watch our full interview with Ayers aboard the International Space Station in the video player below:
In March, Ayers and the SpaceX Crew 10 arrived at the ISS. They’re scheduled to return to Earth next month, Ayers said.
“At any given point, there are over 200 science experiments going on, both on the inside and outside of the station, looking down at Earth, looking out at space,” she explained. “So we have a lot of different things that we work on each day.”
Ayers said the astronauts generally work 12-hour shifts, doing science but also maintenance onboard since “we have to be the plumbers and electricians up here as well.”
Their focus is on material and physical sciences and biomedical research to benefit humanity on Earth. They also welcomed four astronauts from the private Axiom 4 mission, part of NASA’s efforts to expand private partnerships in order to open the door to new frontiers in space.
“Axiom is just an amazing example of commercializing low Earth orbit,” said Ayers. “You know, NASA's goal is to eventually get to the point where NASA can buy services from commercial companies that are cheaper than what we pay for right now, and then that allows us to focus on the Artemis program and getting onto the Moon and Mars. So a lot going on up here, and really excited about the future of space exploration.”
Ayers said her training prepared her well for the structure of the ISS and the scientific work being done onboard, but there are some things that still feel novel.
“One of the biggest things for me was looking out the window, you know, getting to see the Earth from this perspective,” she said. “I still am not used to that. I'm still amazed by every sunrise and every sunset that I get to see.”
Ayers says she “loved growing up in Colorado, loved exploring,” and is “really excited to represent Colorado up here on the International Space Station and represent the U.S.”
She’s now inspiring a new generation of Coloradans to launch a career in science or to try to become an astronaut.
“Never stop dreaming, right? And be excited and be aggressive with your dreams and set those goals,” she advised. “As a little serious little kid who set really high goals, you're always going to have someone who maybe laughs at it or jokes around about it, but you will always get to where you need to be.
“The biggest piece of advice that I can give people is work really hard. So that's what I did. Like I said, you know, find something you're really passionate about, get really good at that thing, work really hard at it, and be a good team player. You know, take care of the people next to you, and you'll get to anywhere you want to go in life. So work hard and be a good team player. That's what I love to preach.”
