KU alumna, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara to headline KU Reads event Oct. 8
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas will welcome home one of its own this fall when KU alumna and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara returns to Lawrence for a public event celebrating the 2026-27 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience selection.
From “Lawrence to Low-Earth Orbit: An Evening with Loral O’Hara” will take place 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Kansas Union Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public, with a livestream also available through the Hall Center for the Humanities' Crowdcast channel.
O’Hara, who earned her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from KU in 2005, was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. In September 2023, she launched to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft, where she served 204 days as a flight engineer, completed one spacewalk of nearly seven hours and circled the Earth 3,264 times before returning in April 2024.
The evening is organized around this year’s KU Reads selection, "Orbital” by Samantha Harvey, winner of the 2024 Booker Prize. The novel follows six astronauts on the ISS as they orbit the Earth 16 times in a single day, meditating on humanity, connection and the planet below. O’Hara’s own experience living and working aboard the ISS offers a real-world counterpart to Harvey’s acclaimed work of fiction.
“During this event, we’ll hear from one of our very own Jayhawks who has recently experienced space firsthand aboard the ISS," KU Common Book Librarian Samantha Greeson said. “This conversation will continue our campuswide exploration inspired by ‘Orbital’ as we ponder the wonder of the universe, the importance of research in space and the distinctly human experience of space travel. We’ll explore what becomes visible when we see Earth from a new perspective and how that shift can change the way we see ourselves, our planet and our place within it.”
The event will be moderated by Giselle Anatol, director of the Hall Center for the Humanities, in a conversation featuring rotating guests throughout the evening. O’Hara will be joined by Steve Hawley, KU professor emeritus and former NASA astronaut; Richard Hale, KU Spahr Professor of Aerospace Engineering, and Sarah Lamm, KU geology graduate student and NASA solar system ambassador, for discussions on topics including the realities of spaceflight and life after returning from space.
The event will close with a Q&A session drawing from questions submitted by students, faculty, staff and community members in the weeks prior. Following the event, KU’s Department of Physics & Astronomy will have telescopes set up outside the Kansas Union for public viewing of the night sky.
More information about KU Reads and the full year of “Orbital”-inspired events is available at the KU Reads webpage.
About KU Reads
KU Reads: A Common Book Experience invites students, faculty, staff and community members across KU to share a single reading experience each year. The "Orbital” selection anchors a year of programming that explores themes of perspective, science, human connection and shared responsibility to the planet.