She said she initially was interested in the physical challenge of the sport, but began to find appreciation in gear, the physics of systems and the partnerships formed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Koch described the different aspects of training to work on the International Space Station.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of that is very similar to the concepts of rock climbing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She also recalled a time when she was being interviewed to get her current job.<\/p>\n
Peggy Whitson, a renowned astronaut, asked her if she\u2019d ever been scared when climbing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like she was seeing right through my soul when she was asked that question,\u201d said Koch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like the answer to that question was absolutely. I have been scared. That\u2019s when I really kind of found the fact that turning that fear you might be having into focus is so important\u2026That was a pretty profound moment in my selection process.\u201d<\/p>\n
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2. Ocun crash pads were tied to a recent rocket launch<\/p>\n
On the launching tower of an Isar Aerospace rocket you\u2019ll see something that looks oddly familiar to a climber.<\/p>\n
Ocun Dominator crash pads were strapped to the structure during a recent mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isar Aerospace specializes in rocket launches that propel satellites into space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear exactly why the pads were used.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And it seems like it wasn\u2019t a marketing stunt. At least, not an intentional one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ocun has been asking on its Instagram for any tips on why Isar decided to strap the gear to its launch tower.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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3. BD Quickdraws were clipped to SpaceX astronauts\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back in 2021, the SpaceX Crew-1 mission made headlines around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Crew-1 was the first operational mission to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew Program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under this program, commercial operators like SpaceX are the ones carrying humans up to space, as opposed to NASA.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Being the first of those, the Crew-1 mission was a landmark in commercial space exploration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was also the first time a set of BD quickdraws were photographed on astronauts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were crossed together in an \u2018X\u2019 on the astronauts\u2019 chests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This prompted a lot of speculation about why they were needed, but one Reddit poster<\/a> linked to a now-expired Black Diamond Instagram story that said the astronauts needed lifting points to get them out of the capsule when it touched down in the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/astronaut-Quickdraws-600x338.jpg\")
<\/a>SpaceX Crew-1 touching down on the Gulf of Mexico. Photo Courtesy of NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center<\/p>\n