Dr. Karen Nyberg is a retired NASA astronaut, engineer, and lifelong textile artist who uniquely connects quilting and space exploration. During her 166-day mission aboard the International Space Station, she became the first person to quilt in space, stitching a star block from recycled materials — an act that inspired the NASA Astronomical Quilt Block Challenge and thousands of quilters worldwide.

Since retiring from NASA, Karen has focused on textile art and sustainability, designing fabric collections with Robert Kaufman Fabrics inspired by her Earth photography from orbit. She also co-created the Lunar Quilt Challenge, a global initiative celebrating creativity, heritage, and humanity’s connection to space, which culminated in a showcase at the Kennedy Center.

Karen’s work bridges science and artistry, inspiring quilters to see their craft as part of a powerful story connecting Earth and the cosmos.