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Virtual Author Talk: Dr. Jennifer Levasseur

Behind the Scenes at the Space Station

In an online talk, Jennifer Levasseur discusses the Smithsonian's new book, "Behind the Scenes at the Space Station." Register to receive the link to join and submit questions.

Step inside one of the greatest international achievements with a behind-the-scenes guide to space exploration led by Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Dr. Jennifer Levasseur.

Revealing a new perspective into the world of space exploration and the daring astronauts who make it possible, Dr. Levasseur guides you through the Smithsonian’s Behind the Scenes at the Space Station and takes you on a once-in-a-lifetime virtual tour of the International Space Station. 

Learn what astronauts do once they make it to the space station, from experiments to repairs. Have you ever wondered if plants could grow in outer space? How the space station doesn’t break down in outer space? How astronauts go to the toilet in microgravity? Did you know that during a 24-hour period, the space station completes 16 orbits of Earth and the astronauts on board see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day? Or that the International Space Station is so enormous that it was launched in pieces and constructed in orbit?

Brimming with astonishing visuals, step-by-step explanations of everyday space work in action, and job profiles of the adventurous people who make it happen, Dr. Levasseur’s Behind the Scenes at the Space Station is the perfect way to experience life in space.

Dr. Jennifer Levasseur is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan (BA, 1999). She received an MA from George Washington University (2002) and a PhD from George Mason University (2014). Her first book, published in 2020, examined the cultural significance of astronaut photography. She is the responsible curator for the Museum's astronaut cameras, chronographs, the Space Shuttle, and International Space Station programs. In 22 years at NASM, Jennifer has worked on artifact loans, a biennial museums conference, and numerous digital projects. She curated the 2015 exhibit Outside the Spacecraft: 50 Years of Extra-Vehicular Activity, co-curated One World Connected, and is lead curator for the forthcoming At Home in Space gallery. Jennifer started her Smithsonian career with an internship in the National Portrait Gallery, where she cataloged photographs and developed strategies for recording portrait information in the museum's artifact database.

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