---
title: "Houston, We Have a Terp"
date: 2024-05-17T16:12:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://terp.umd.edu/eppsoniss"
section: Articles
---
# Houston, We Have a Terp

*May 17, 2024* — by [Annie Krakower](/authors/annie-krakower)


- *Photos courtesy of NASA*

> Alum Astronaut Joins International Space Station

*Jeanette Epps in astronaut gear*

When Jeanette Epps M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’00 moved into her new digs earlier this year, the quarters were tight and the area was short on dining options, but the views were out of this world.

The Terp blasted into space in March as one of four astronauts on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, beginning a six-month stint as a flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS). A NASA astronaut since 2009, she ventured into space for the first time and spoke with *Terp* two days after her arrival on the ISS.

“You can see \[Earth\] in pictures. You can even dream about those pictures,” Epps said. “But there’s just something that happens when you see it with your own eyes.”


*Jeanette Epps waves from ISS while wearing red Maryland shirt — In an interview with UMD from orbit, Jeanette Epps M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’00 discussed adjusting to her new digs in space.*


---


[youtube video Houston, We Have a Terp](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqFDqFNVjxs)



**Sidebar note:**

Flight time from Earth to ISS: 27 hours, 35 minutes

Distance to ISS: 250 miles

Orbital velocity: 17,500 mph

Size of ISS: 108 meters long

Experiments to be completed: 200+





**Issue:** [Spring 2024](https://terp.umd.edu/editions/spring-2024)


**Types:** [Post-Grad](https://terp.umd.edu/category/post-grad)