About the event

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shoot for the moon and meet real-life astronaut, Dr. Kate Rubins!

STEMFest/STEM Wana Trust are excited to be partnering with NASA to host Kate for her first touch down in Aotearoa New Zealand as we embark on this STEM in the Community initiative for a tour across the central North Island.

Coming to Rotorua, we're inviting you and your whānau to Rotorua Library from 4pm - 5pm to hear from Kate as she shares inspiring stories about her exciting career and experiences from space. There will be a chance to ask her your budding questions, followed by a meet and greet to grab a photo with a NASA astronaut! Oh, and did we mention spot prizes too?

This is a free event and a fantastic way to spend the afternoon with family and friends, meet an astronaut and get to know a little more about what a future in the aerospace industry could look like. Suitable for all ages and members of the whānau, we can't wait to see you there.

Registration is required so make sure you get your free tickets today!

About NASA Astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins

Kathleen Rubins was selected by NASA in 2009. Rubins completed her first spaceflight on Expedition 48/49, where she became the first person to sequence DNA in space. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of California and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford University Medical School Biochemistry Department and Microbiology and Immunology Department.

Dr. Rubins conducted her undergraduate research on HIV-1 integration in the Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She worked as a Fellow/Principal Investigator at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and headed 14 researchers studying viral diseases that primarily affect Central and West Africa.

Rubins most recently served aboard the International Space Station as flight engineer for Expedition 63/64. Across her two flights, she has spent a total of 300 days in space, the fourth most days in space by a U.S. female astronaut.

She was born in 1978 in Farmington, Connecticut, and raised in Napa, California. She enjoys running, cycling, swimming, flying, scuba diving and reading.

Host Venue

Thank you to Rotorua Library for kindly hosting this event.

This tour forms part of Tauranga STEM Festival (STEMFest) 2022. With thanks to headline sponsor Manawa Energy, funders Tourism Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund and other sponsors for their support to ensure that these events are free to attend.