Your Expedition Companions
Two Extraordinary Perspectives
Dr. Cady Coleman
Dr. Catherine “Cady” Coleman is a former NASA astronaut, scientist, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, and explorer whose career has taken her from the Antarctic ice to the depths of the ocean and hundreds of miles above Earth.
Selected by NASA in 1992, Cady flew two Space Shuttle missions before spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station. On her second shuttle mission, she and her crew deployed NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory following an extraordinarily challenging launch. Years later, aboard the ISS, Cady served as the expedition’s robotics lead, conducting scientific research and performing the second-ever robotic capture of an uncrewed supply spacecraft from the station while traveling 17,500 miles per hour above Earth.
But Cady’s relationship with Antarctica began long before she saw the continent from orbit.
As part of a 10-week Antarctic Search for Meteorites expedition, she spent six weeks living in a tent approximately 200 miles from the South Pole, searching the ice for meteorites that had fallen to Earth from space. The vastness, isolation, teamwork, and self-reliance of that experience offered an extraordinary terrestrial parallel to what she would later encounter in space.
Her exploration of extreme environments has also taken her beneath the ocean, where she lived for 11 days aboard the Aquarius underwater habitat, and throughout the polar regions. An accomplished pilot, Cady has flown a small aircraft across the North Atlantic to Greenland, across the Greenland ice cap, and onward to Svalbard, landing in Longyearbyen at 78.2°N.
During 159 days aboard the International Space Station, Cady experienced something even more profound: the perspective of looking back at Earth as a single, interconnected world. That experience continues to shape how she thinks about exploration, collaboration, stewardship, and the responsibility that can come from seeing our planet differently.
Cady is also an accomplished flute player. While aboard the ISS, she famously performed a “Space Duet” with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and played with the acclaimed Irish band The Chieftains, bringing music and a distinctly human dimension to life in orbit.
She shares many of these experiences in her book, Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change, which explores the relationships, challenges, wonder, and lessons that have shaped her life as an astronaut and explorer.
Cady returns to Antarctica for this expedition not simply as someone who has been there before, but as someone whose experiences at the extremes of Earth and in space have shaped a lifetime of thinking about what exploration can teach us.
Over the course of our week together, those experiences will become the starting point for conversations about exploration, resilience, teamwork, perspective, and what happens when we venture far enough beyond the familiar to see our world, and ourselves, differently.
Josh Simpson
For more than five decades, internationally acclaimed glass artist Josh Simpson has devoted his life to exploring the intersection of art, science, and imagination. Working from his studio in Massachusetts, he has built an international reputation for creating intricate glass worlds that reflect both the beauty of Earth and the mystery of the cosmos.
Best known for his signature “Megaplanets,” Josh creates hand-blown glass spheres that appear as if they could be distant planets seen through a telescope. Each planet is an entirely unique world, formed through a highly technical process of layering molten glass, minerals, and metallic elements. The result is a body of work that feels both geological and celestial—echoing landscapes, atmospheres, and planetary systems in miniature form.
His work has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and private collections around the world, and is held in high regard not only for its visual impact but for the philosophy behind it: a belief that art can help us better understand our place within a vast and interconnected universe. Many of his pieces are inspired by real scientific concepts, including planetary formation, atmospheric conditions, and the shifting textures of Earth’s own landscapes.
Beyond his studio, Josh has long been fascinated by exploration in all its forms. As a scuba diver and accomplished pilot for more than 30 years, his travels have taken him to some of the world’s remote environments, including Greenland, where the stark reality of ice, rock, and light offers a powerful parallel to the planetary worlds he creates in glass. In these landscapes, he finds a rare alignment between observation and imagination, where the natural world feels both ancient and otherworldly.
Through his work, Josh invites viewers to slow down and look more closely at the world around them, revealing beauty in both the microscopic and the cosmic. His perspective offers a creative counterpoint to scientific exploration, one that is intuitive, reflective, and deeply human.
Together with Cady Coleman, Josh brings a unique duality to the experience of Antarctica. Where Cady offers the view from orbit, shaped by science and spaceflight, Josh offers a view shaped by art and material transformation. Between them, they create a dialogue that connects Earth, space, and imagination, encouraging a deeper appreciation of the planet we call home.
Begin the Conversation
Thank you for your interest in this extraordinary expedition.
We recognize that a journey to Antarctica is a significant commitment, and we’re here to answer your questions. Whether you’d like to learn more about the itinerary, logistics, physical requirements, or the experience itself, we’d be delighted to speak with you.
Once you’ve had an opportunity to explore the website, we’ll arrange a private video consultation with our team and, when appropriate, the expedition specialists from White Desert. Together, we’ll discuss the journey in greater detail and help determine whether this remarkable experience is the right fit for you.
We look forward to meeting you.
