We’re going to space!
In January of 2022, Kjell Lindgren reached out to the Texas Master Naturalist State office with a request. He was a trained master naturalist with the Gulf Coast chapter and needed some pins and TMN gear to borrow for a few months. He was the commanding officer of the Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station launching in April of 2022 and wanted to take something that represented the Texas Master Naturalist Program to space with him. He also offered a downlink if possible with his fellow TMN’ers to answer questions and talk about his viewpoint on conservation from the ISS.
From that point, we’ve had an incredible year watching Kjell launch, speaking with him from the ISS in July and then watching him land again in mid October. Before returning to Earth on October 14th, Kjell shared a message with his fellow Texas Master Naturalists as they prepared to attend the Annual Meeting in Houston.
Below is an archive of our journey with Kjell over the course of 2022:
October – Landing & Annual Meeting
October was a busy month for Commander and Master Naturalist Kjell Lindgren. His crew-4 landed successfully and safely on Friday October 14th off the coast of Florida.
ONE week later, Kjell offered the opportunity to host a follow up Q&A live at the Texas Master Naturalist 2022 Annual Meeting. He shared a pre-recorded video sent prior to landing with a message of hope and perspective for the Texas Master Naturalist Program.
His in-person presentation answered questions about his return, his view of Earths resources and his personal experience as a Texas Master Naturalists.
June – TMNTuesday Downlink with Kjell Lindgren
Kjell has offered a once in a lifetime experience for the Texas Master Naturalist Program! He’d like to ‘downlink’ with the Texas Master Naturalist Program in June. Kjell will connect his work on the ISS to the service TMN’s provide and answer any questions that his fellow naturalist volunteers have. The final times for this downlink may remain flexible based on mission priorities on the ISS.
Tuesday June 14th
The event is scheduled for 3:30-3:55 p.m. CDT (20:30-20:55 GMT), with set up starting at 3:00 p.m. (20:00 GMT)
The event will be livestreamed via a few outlets – including our YouTube channel, this website, and possibly our Facebook Page.
In preparation for this downlink we have collected questions from fellow Texas Master Naturalists. We will review and synthesize the questions collected, get them approved via the NASA Astronauts team and then submit them to Kjell to review and prep for his downlink discussion. Be aware that not every question submitted or even approved for his response will have a chance to get answered. Note that the event is a one way, 25-minute discussion between the TMN State Office and Kjell on the ISS with those questions being the source for discussion – any chat or comments added into the livestream platforms cannot be asked.
April – Launching this Month!
One of the most serendipitous events that could ever take place during National Volunteer Week and the morning after Earth Day – our first ever Texas Master Naturalist in Space! Gulf Coast Chapter Member, Kjell Lindgren is a NASA Astronaut commanding the SpaceX Crew-4 shuttle to the International Space Station with a launch on Wednesday April 27th.
Join us as we share more about the crew, their launch and then host a live downlink with Kjell later this summer.
#NASA #NASAastronauts #TMNinSpace
Launch Livestream
This event has passed – but you can still watch future launches & media on the NASA Live page.
Join us as we countdown and watch the launch together. To watch the launch – use the NASA Live channel – https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
Tentative launch schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, April 27 (all times Eastern)
12:00 a.m. – NASA Television launch commentary coverage begins
3:52 a.m. – Launch
7 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference on NASA Television
Learn about our Texas Master Naturalist in Space!
Space X Crew-4
Follow along and learn more about the Space X Crew 4 team, their vehicles and launch schedule on their blog – https://blogs.nasa.gov/crew-4/
Learn more about the spacecraft and vehicle launching this incredible team – https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/spacex_spacecraft_and_vehicle_guide.pdf
News
AgriLife Today – Texas Master Naturalist astronaut to ‘downlink’ from space station June 14 – June 9, 2022
AgriLife Today – Texas Master Naturalist volunteer journeys into space – April 22, 2022
Kjell Lindgren
Get to know Texas Master Naturalist Kjell Lindgren!
A member of the Gulf Coast Chapter, Kjell (pronounced CHELL) joined the training class and earned his certification in 2021, and has been involved in the many projects of the Gulf Coast Chapter, including the Texas Butterfly Monitoring Network, BRITs Armchair Botanist and Armand Bayou trail guiding.
Learn more about Kjell’s astronaut career – https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/kjell-n-lindgren/biography
Crew 4 Patch
Some great insight to the patch Commander Kjelle Lindgren, TMN volunteer will wear on his mission launch next week: The free-flying Dragon capsule forms the thorax of the central element of the patch, the Dragonfly – a beautiful and agile flyer. For many, the dragonfly represents transformation and good fortune. On its way to the International Space Station, the capsule appears suspended in low Earth orbit with the Earth below and Moon above. Four bright stars represent the four crewmembers’ families and their steadfast patience, love, and support. The remaining multitude of stars represent the countless members of the NASA, SpaceX, and international partner teams, whose ingenuity, vigilance, and tireless work has made this mission possible. Patch designer: Alexandra Lindgren (Kjell’s daughter)
