NASA astronaut Christina Koch sets a new record in space

William Harwood

Astronaut Christina Koch, or Southern Lights from above on a planetary scale."

"I've had the opportunity working in Antarctica and the Arctic to see them from below and the beautiful, shimmering lights taking over the whole sky," she said. "But to look down on the Earth and see the entire shape of the aurora as they form near the poles was truly an amazing sight and just literally took my breath away."

Koch said she hopes setting a new single-flight endurance record will serve as a milestone to motivate others while pushing the boundaries of science because "that's important for our future exploration ... going to Mars and also returning to the moon and going there to stay."

"But overall, I'd have to say that my number one hope for this milestone is that the record is exceeded again as soon as possible," she said. "Because that means that we're continuing to push the boundaries."

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Saturday, Dec. 28, is Koch's 289th day in space, not her 288th.

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