Nichole Ayers
Definition
Nichole Ayers (born Nichole Rhea Stilwell, 1988) is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and a NASA astronaut selected in 2021 as part of Astronaut Group 23.
She served as pilot for NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission, launching on March 14, 2025, to the International Space Station for Expeditions 72/73, logging 147 days in space and performing a spacewalk.
An F-22 Raptor pilot with the callsign 'Vapor', Ayers has over 200 combat hours from Operations Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel aboard the ISS in 2025.
Examples
Nichole Ayers got promoted to lieutenant colonel while orbiting Earth on the ISS, because apparently space is the ultimate place for a stellar career boost.
From vaporizing threats in an F-22 to delicately cracking open the Kibō airlock hatch during a spacewalk, Nichole Ayers handles high-stakes openings with effortless grace.
Nichole Ayers piloted Crew-10 like a pro, swapping dogfights for docking maneuvers and proving that fighter pilots make the best space chauffeurs.
With her math smarts from the Air Force Academy, Nichole Ayers no doubt optimized the ISS snack rotation during her six-month stint, keeping cosmonauts calorie-counted and content.