Georgia Tech graduate Shane Kimbrough (M.S. Operations Research 1998) will be in space a bit longer than expected. NASA has announced that Kimbrough will stay onboard the International Space Station (ISS) until April 10. He was originally scheduled to leave at the end of this month. Kimbrough has been on the orbiting laboratory since October 21.

The Georgia Tech alumnus is the commander of the ISS and oversees a crew of six astronauts: another one from America, one from France and three Russian cosmonauts. They’re currently preparing for the arrival of a SpaceX cargo spacecraft expected to launch from Florida on Saturday. It will arrive two days later, and Kimbrough and the crew will grab it with a robotic arm. It will carry food, fuel, supplies and new science gear.

In the meantime, there are several opportunites to the see the station above Metro Atlanta through March 2.

The ISS looks like an airplane or a very bright star that moves across the sky, except it doesn't have any flashing lights nor changes direction. The orbiting laboratory moves 17,500 miles an hour, 250 miles above Earth.

NASA has more details on how to view the station.