Dr. Michaela Musilova
@astro-michaela.bsky.social
Astrobiologist | >30x Analog Astronaut Commander| Professional Speaker | Author | Science Communicator | President of XtremeFrontiers & Michaela Musilová, o.z.
http://michaelamusilova.com
http://michaelamusilova.com
Camping in extreme environments can be challenging. That is why it's important to find ways to make the experience not only as comfortable as possible, but ideally also relaxing for the body and mind. 1/
December 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Camping in extreme environments can be challenging. That is why it's important to find ways to make the experience not only as comfortable as possible, but ideally also relaxing for the body and mind. 1/
For today's #GivingTuesday, we're fundraising for the scientific, educational and outreach activities we perform around the world through the non-profit XtremeFrontiers 😊.
➡️ If you would like to support our work, please consider donating through this link:
michaelamusilova.com/how-to-donate/
➡️ If you would like to support our work, please consider donating through this link:
michaelamusilova.com/how-to-donate/
December 2, 2025 at 7:04 PM
For today's #GivingTuesday, we're fundraising for the scientific, educational and outreach activities we perform around the world through the non-profit XtremeFrontiers 😊.
➡️ If you would like to support our work, please consider donating through this link:
michaelamusilova.com/how-to-donate/
➡️ If you would like to support our work, please consider donating through this link:
michaelamusilova.com/how-to-donate/
4/ These colors, prayer flags and the Tibetan culture accompanied us throughout our journey. I'm grateful that I was able to learn more about Tibet's history and traditions from all the local people we talked to 😊.
November 29, 2025 at 8:06 PM
4/ These colors, prayer flags and the Tibetan culture accompanied us throughout our journey. I'm grateful that I was able to learn more about Tibet's history and traditions from all the local people we talked to 😊.
3/ All five colours together signify balance. When the wind blows, it is believed to carry the prayers, goodwill and positive energy across the land for the benefit of all living beings 😊.
November 29, 2025 at 8:05 PM
3/ All five colours together signify balance. When the wind blows, it is believed to carry the prayers, goodwill and positive energy across the land for the benefit of all living beings 😊.
2/ They have five traditional colors: blue (sky/space), white (air/wind), red (fire), green (water), and yellow (earth), which represent the elements and are traditionally hung in that specific order from left to right, starting with blue.
November 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
2/ They have five traditional colors: blue (sky/space), white (air/wind), red (fire), green (water), and yellow (earth), which represent the elements and are traditionally hung in that specific order from left to right, starting with blue.
Prayer flags were present in every part of our expedition in Tibet, whether it was a mountain pass, villages or even near Mount Everest itself 😊. In the Himalayas, prayer flags are colorful banners featuring sacred images and mantras, used to spread blessings of peace and compassion. 1/
November 29, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Prayer flags were present in every part of our expedition in Tibet, whether it was a mountain pass, villages or even near Mount Everest itself 😊. In the Himalayas, prayer flags are colorful banners featuring sacred images and mantras, used to spread blessings of peace and compassion. 1/
4/ For those of you that celebrate these holidays, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage day! 😊
November 27, 2025 at 7:41 PM
4/ For those of you that celebrate these holidays, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage day! 😊
3/ I was definitely beaming with gratitude every day that I was there, and on Thanksgiving, our collective gratitude was almost tangible 😊. I cherish that memory and all the friendships I made on that voyage to Antarctica 😊.
November 27, 2025 at 7:40 PM
3/ I was definitely beaming with gratitude every day that I was there, and on Thanksgiving, our collective gratitude was almost tangible 😊. I cherish that memory and all the friendships I made on that voyage to Antarctica 😊.
2/ We all overcame a number of challenges to make it to that expedition. I think most of us couldn't believe we were actually in Antarctica. It took me over 17 years of effort to finally get there.
November 27, 2025 at 7:39 PM
2/ We all overcame a number of challenges to make it to that expedition. I think most of us couldn't believe we were actually in Antarctica. It took me over 17 years of effort to finally get there.
Flashback to Thanksgiving in Antarctica 😀. Two years ago today, I was celebrating Thanksgiving with an amazing group of women and non-binary leaders in Antarctica 😊.
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November 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Flashback to Thanksgiving in Antarctica 😀. Two years ago today, I was celebrating Thanksgiving with an amazing group of women and non-binary leaders in Antarctica 😊.
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6/ Fun fact, dried yak dung is the only obtainable fuel in the treeless parts of the Tibetan plateau. Luckily, while I was in Tibet, I didn't need to burn yak dung for heating purposes, but it was necessary when I was in Nepal in the winter.
November 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
6/ Fun fact, dried yak dung is the only obtainable fuel in the treeless parts of the Tibetan plateau. Luckily, while I was in Tibet, I didn't need to burn yak dung for heating purposes, but it was necessary when I was in Nepal in the winter.
4/ Yaks are well-adapted to cold, high-altitude environments with adaptations like thick fur and enlarged lungs for low-oxygen conditions. Yaks’ lung capacity is about three times that of cattle, and they have more and smaller red blood cells, improving the blood’s ability to transport oxygen.
November 25, 2025 at 8:24 PM
4/ Yaks are well-adapted to cold, high-altitude environments with adaptations like thick fur and enlarged lungs for low-oxygen conditions. Yaks’ lung capacity is about three times that of cattle, and they have more and smaller red blood cells, improving the blood’s ability to transport oxygen.
3/ They were probably domesticated in Tibet and then they were introduced to places where there are people at elevations of 4,000 - 6,000 metres (14,000 - 20,000 feet), mainly in China but also in Central Asia, Mongolia, and Nepal.
November 25, 2025 at 8:23 PM
3/ They were probably domesticated in Tibet and then they were introduced to places where there are people at elevations of 4,000 - 6,000 metres (14,000 - 20,000 feet), mainly in China but also in Central Asia, Mongolia, and Nepal.
2/ The animals we most encountered were yaks, which are long-haired domesticated cattle native to the Himalayan region and Tibetan Plateau.
November 25, 2025 at 8:23 PM
2/ The animals we most encountered were yaks, which are long-haired domesticated cattle native to the Himalayan region and Tibetan Plateau.
Our trek to Everest was not only filled with fascinating geology and beautiful landscapes, but we also camped in areas with some friendly biological organisms 😀. They were a bit bigger than the microscopic organisms that I was studying for research purposes higher up in the Everest area 😉. 1/
November 25, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Our trek to Everest was not only filled with fascinating geology and beautiful landscapes, but we also camped in areas with some friendly biological organisms 😀. They were a bit bigger than the microscopic organisms that I was studying for research purposes higher up in the Everest area 😉. 1/
One of the technologies I was testing during my recent Everest expedition was the VitaProbe-S3. It was designed by Slovak students to help me with my study of life in extreme environments. The name of the sensor means "life probe" from the Latin "vita" meaning "life".
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November 22, 2025 at 6:27 PM
One of the technologies I was testing during my recent Everest expedition was the VitaProbe-S3. It was designed by Slovak students to help me with my study of life in extreme environments. The name of the sensor means "life probe" from the Latin "vita" meaning "life".
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Before my Everest expedition, one of my knees had been troublesome for a few months. I was really worried about how I would manage to trek during the expedition with this issue. It was a big source of stress for me and my situation wasn't improving very much no matter what I tried. 1/
November 20, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Before my Everest expedition, one of my knees had been troublesome for a few months. I was really worried about how I would manage to trek during the expedition with this issue. It was a big source of stress for me and my situation wasn't improving very much no matter what I tried. 1/
8/ These are some of the topics I discussed with students from the schools Gymnázium Golianova and Baobab - Community Center in Nitra, pictured here, earlier this year. Many thanks for the invitation and the lovely event! 😊
November 18, 2025 at 8:29 PM
8/ These are some of the topics I discussed with students from the schools Gymnázium Golianova and Baobab - Community Center in Nitra, pictured here, earlier this year. Many thanks for the invitation and the lovely event! 😊
2/ Until then, crews will have to learn to manage their resources responsibly so that they can accomplish their long-duration missions successfully.
This is something that I tried to teach my crews during the simulated lunar and martian missions that I led.
This is something that I tried to teach my crews during the simulated lunar and martian missions that I led.
November 18, 2025 at 8:26 PM
2/ Until then, crews will have to learn to manage their resources responsibly so that they can accomplish their long-duration missions successfully.
This is something that I tried to teach my crews during the simulated lunar and martian missions that I led.
This is something that I tried to teach my crews during the simulated lunar and martian missions that I led.
Water will be one of the most precious resources for humans during space missions. One day, we will hopefully find ways to extract water and create lasting supplies of water on the Moon or Mars. 1/
November 18, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Water will be one of the most precious resources for humans during space missions. One day, we will hopefully find ways to extract water and create lasting supplies of water on the Moon or Mars. 1/
2/ If you're interested, you can donate towards these calendars through my fundraising page listed below. All money raised will go towards my research and educational activities all around the world, including my next Astro Seven Summits expedition in 2026. Thank you very much for your help! ❤️
November 15, 2025 at 7:46 PM
2/ If you're interested, you can donate towards these calendars through my fundraising page listed below. All money raised will go towards my research and educational activities all around the world, including my next Astro Seven Summits expedition in 2026. Thank you very much for your help! ❤️
The 2026 calendars are here! 😊 I'm very excited to share these with you. They're calendars made from my pictures from Antarctica, South America and Iceland. One calendar has pictures with me and one is just of nature. You can see some examples of those pictures in this post. 1/
November 15, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The 2026 calendars are here! 😊 I'm very excited to share these with you. They're calendars made from my pictures from Antarctica, South America and Iceland. One calendar has pictures with me and one is just of nature. You can see some examples of those pictures in this post. 1/
2/ What I've been seeing on every continent during my Astro Seven Summits project is that life as we know it is heavily influenced by the sediments, rocks and minerals that are present in different environments.
November 13, 2025 at 7:49 PM
2/ What I've been seeing on every continent during my Astro Seven Summits project is that life as we know it is heavily influenced by the sediments, rocks and minerals that are present in different environments.
My studies of life in extreme environments and astrobiology around Mount Everest went hand in hand with the geology present there. 1/
November 13, 2025 at 7:48 PM
My studies of life in extreme environments and astrobiology around Mount Everest went hand in hand with the geology present there. 1/
If you would like to know about my research in collaboration with NASA and my recent expeditions, we discussed these topics in a recent interview for Telerano 😊. 1/
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 PM
If you would like to know about my research in collaboration with NASA and my recent expeditions, we discussed these topics in a recent interview for Telerano 😊. 1/