CLEVELAND — Dr. Norah Patten feels right at home at the Great Lakes Science Center inspiring the next generation, even though her real home is thousands of miles away.

Patten is set to become Ireland's first astronaut on a research space flight planned for 2026. She says her journey began with a childhood visit to Cleveland .

"When I was 11, growing up in the west of Ireland. We were on a family trip to Cleveland,: she recalled. "My dad's cousin took us to NASA, and that has literally shaped my career and the path of my life."

The upcoming suborbital flight on a Virgin Galactic spacecraft will carry an all-female crew along with several research experiments, including wearable tech, microgravity research, and women's health studies.

Patten leaves an impression wherever she goes.

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