Nichole Stilwell

Nichole Stilwell
A woman in a blue flight suit; she is facing the camera and smiling.
Stilwell in 2024
Born
Nichole Rhea Stilwell

(1988-12-13) 13 December 1988 (age 37)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Education
Space career
NASA astronaut
Time in space147 days, 16 hours, 29 minutes
SelectionNASA Group 23 (2021)
Total EVAs1
Total EVA time5 hours, 44 minutes
Mission
Mission insignia
Military career
Branch
United States Air Force
Years
2011–present
Rank
Lieutenant Colonel
Nickname"Vapor"
Unit90th Fighter Squadron (former)
Combat operations
Operation Inherent Resolve
Operation Spartan Shield

Nichole Rhea Stilwell (also known as Nichole Ayers; born 13 December 1988) is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and NASA astronaut.

Education

Nichole Stilwell graduated from Woodland Park High School in Woodland Park, Colorado. Afterward, she attended the United States Air Force Academy, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics with a minor in Russian in 2011. She earned a master's degree in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University in 2013.

Career

Stilwell before taking to the air in an F-22 Raptor, September 2020

In 2014, Stilwell completed flight training and flew the T-38 for an adversary squadron at Langley Air Force Base. She later became a flight instructor, providing adversary training to F-22 Raptor units based at Langley.

In 2018, Stilwell completed training for the F-22, serving as a flight instructor for the F-22. Ayers has logged over 200 flight hours during Operation Inherent Resolve.

At the time of her selection as an Astronaut Candidate, Stilwell was the assistant director of operations of the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

On 6 December 2021, Nichole Stilwell was revealed to be one of ten candidates selected as part of the NASA Astronaut Group 23.

Stilwell opens the hatch of the Kibō module's airlock aboard the ISS.

In August 2024, Stilwell received her first spaceflight assignment. On 14 March 2025, she launched to the International Space Station as the pilot of the SpaceX Crew-10 mission. She remained aboard the station for six months as part of the crew of Expedition 72 and 73. Crew-10 was scheduled to return to Earth in July 2025, ultimately returning on August 9, 2025.

In April 2025, Stilwell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in a surprise ceremony while aboard the International Space Station.

Personal life

Stilwell and her twin sister, Cydnee, were born in San Diego, California, but she considers Colorado Springs and Divide, Colorado, home. Stilwell enjoys sailing, camping, hiking, biking, and working on home projects.

Awards and honors

Stilwell was a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and Undergraduate Pilot Training. She has received the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal.

Gigantic jet photograph captured by Stilwell on the ISS.

Her photograph of a gigantic jet over Coahuila, Mexico, was voted as the third best Picture of the Year 2025 in Wikimedia Commons.

References

  1. ↑ "Former Falcon Nichole (Stilwell) Ayers Joins NASA Astronaut Corps". Air Force Academy Athletics. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Flynn, Colleen (6 December 2021). "Colorado Air Force major chosen for NASA 2021 astronaut class". KDVR. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  3. ↑ Margetta, Robert (6 December 2021). "NASA Selects New Astronaut Recruits to Train for Future Missions". NASA.
  4. ↑ Butzer, Stephanie (6 December 2021). "Colorado woman selected amid thousands as new NASA astronaut candidate". The Denver Post. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Mars, Kelli (3 December 2021). "NASA Astronaut Candidate Nichole Ayers". NASA.
  6. ↑ "NASA Shares its SpaceX Crew-10 Assignments for Space Station Mission - NASA". Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Doyle, Tiernan (9 August 2025). "NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Returns, Splashes Down Off California". Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Ayers, Nichole (4 April 2025). "Found out I was selected for the rank of Lt Col!! And in the coolest possible way, surrounded by our @nasajohnson and @nasa_marshall ground team, friends, and family (even up here on the @iss!) HUGE thanks to my crewmates, Tak, @astro_annimal, and @astro_pettit for making it a surprise and a wonderful evening". Instagram. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  9. ↑ See the Results of 2025.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from NASA Astronaut Nichole Stilwell. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.