The artistic astronaut inspiring the next generation

Astronaut Frank Rubio has already spent longer in space than any Nasa astronaut before him. And this time next week, he'll have spent exactly a year up there after his stay had to be extended following a technical problem.

So is Frank likely to be get bored of the sight of the Earth from orbit?

Newsday asked Nicole Stott - a former Nasa astronaut who was the first person to paint a watercolour in space and is behind an art project aiming to get children more interested in the industry.

She also explained the challenges of painting in zero gravity: "Everything's floaty - you're floating so you have to kind of configure yourself, the water's floating so you're dipping your brush into floating balls of water versus into a cup; and I wish I would have videotaped it."

(Pic: Nicole Stott; Credit: Nicole Stott)