Jessica Meir, born on July first, nineteen seventy-seven, is a distinguished Swedish American marine biologist, physiologist, and NASA astronaut. Her academic journey includes serving as an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and conducting postdoctoral research in comparative physiology at the University of British Columbia. Meir's research has significantly contributed to our understanding of the diving physiology and behavior of emperor penguins in Antarctica, as well as the remarkable adaptations of bar-headed geese that enable them to migrate over the Himalayas.
In September two thousand two, Meir took on the role of aquanaut as part of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations 4 (NEEMO 4) crew. Her dedication and expertise led to her selection by NASA for Astronaut Group twenty-one in two thousand thirteen. Three years later, she participated in the ESA CAVES training course, where international astronauts train in a space-analogue cave environment, further honing her skills for future missions.
On September twenty-fifth, two thousand nineteen, Meir launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Soyuz MS-15, where she served as a flight engineer during Expeditions sixty-one and sixty-two. Notably, on October eighteenth, two thousand nineteen, she and fellow astronaut Christina Koch made history as the first women to conduct an all-female spacewalk, a landmark achievement in the field of space exploration.
In recognition of her impactful contributions to science and exploration, Meir was included in Time magazine's list of the one hundred most influential people of twenty twenty, solidifying her status as a role model for aspiring scientists and explorers around the globe.