Virtual Reality Trip to the ISS

In anticipation of NASA astronaut Leland Melvin's visit to the main stage at Pioneer Works, and in partnership with Janna Levin, I developed and facilitated a program to take attendees to the International Space Station — 250 miles above Earth.

Thanks to the technology studio Magnopus and their VR experience Trip to ISS, guests were able to experience motion in a zero-gravity environment and learn about experiments and missions conducted aboard the station. Throughout the afternoon, a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow gave brief talks on Getting It Done in Space — sharing technical expertise on the realities of life and work in orbit, from storage considerations to the logistics of living aboard a spacecraft.

Alongside the VR stations, a pop-up bar featured a special drink menu with space-themed pun names. A "live" video feed from the International Space Station projected behind the bar, alongside a reel I assembled from NASA satellite footage.

Years later, after his talk on the main stage with Janna Levin, I had the chance to interview NASA astronaut Leland Melvin myself. The interview, published in 2020 during Covid, explored thriving in isolation — and was released on the eve of the first crewed SpaceX launch.