Terry Virts
Terry Virts is a former NASA astronaut who shares life in space through photography, books, films, podcasts, and commentary on the world below.
At 100 nudges, fangea sends Terry’s team an official invite.
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Latest
Terry’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Hometown
- Columbia, Maryland
- Work
- Author, photographer, filmmaker, speaker, and podcast host
- NASA
- Selected in 2000; flew on Endeavour and commanded the International Space Station
- Time in space
- 213 days across two spaceflights
Mini bio
How it started.
Growing up in Columbia, Maryland, Terry wanted to become an astronaut after reading about the Apollo missions in kindergarten. He studied mathematics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, then became a fighter pilot and experimental test pilot before NASA selected him in 2000.
The view that changed his work.
He piloted Endeavour on STS-130 in 2010, helping deliver the station’s Tranquility module and Cupola windows. He later returned as an Expedition 42 flight engineer and Expedition 43 commander. His photographs and footage brought life aboard the station to people following along on Earth.
Bringing space home.
After his NASA career, Terry turned those experiences into books and films. View from Above pairs orbital photography with personal stories, while How to Astronaut explores the practical details of space travel. His children’s guide invites younger readers into that world, too. He launched the Down to Earth podcast in 2021 and now also writes about space and current events.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2023The Astronaut’s Guide to Leaving the PlanetAuthor
- 2020How to AstronautAuthor
- 2017View from AboveAuthor
Film
- 2020One More OrbitDirector, co-writer, and on-screen participant
- 2016A Beautiful PlanetAstronaut photographer and on-screen participant
Podcasts
- 2021Down to Earth with Terry VirtsHost
Awards
Quotes
Exploring space is such a fundamentally human thing.Terry Virts, TIME
Discussing the appeal of space exploration and his photography book View from Above.
Trivia
- The Cupola windows he helped deliver in 2010 later became a vantage point for his orbital photography.
- Buzz Aldrin wrote the foreword to View from Above.
- He has kept golden retrievers for as long as he can remember, according to his One More Orbit biography.
Find Terry
Follow Terry for space photography, conversations, and his view of life on Earth.
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