Astronaut alumnus visits CSU before mission

Dr. Kjell Lindgren is headed to the International Space Station next spring. This April, he took a slightly shorter journey to drop by Colorado State University on Thursday to visit his alma mater.

Lindgren, a NASA astronaut and 1996 CSU graduate, visited university leaders and picked up CSU mementos and fan gear he’ll take to space.

“Just pulling into the parking lot and walking into (the Physiology Building) brought back memories of intense thesis writing,” Lindgren said in a CSU release. “... I have very fond memories of my time here.”

The medical doctor is stationed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in preparation for his six-month mission to space. During his mission, he’ll work on a study involving CSU associate professor Susan Bailey, who will study the effects of space on the body of astronaut Scott Kelly, using as a control his identical twin brother, Mark, who will stay on Earth.