The NC astronaut displays a picture of the outside bank from the space :: WRAL.com

By Deborah Strange, Digital Journalist at WRAL

Raleigh, N.C. – North Carolina, aboard the International Space Station, posted a photo of her home hundreds of kilometers above the Earth.

Seeing the North Carolina coast from space "m" took the breath away, "NASA astronaut Christina Koch said on social media Monday.

"It's special to see from above the place where you grew up – the ocean that first inspired my fascination with things that make me feel small and that first sowed the seeds of a goal to explore. "

Koch, originally from Jacksonville, has been part of the International Space Station since March 14th. She made her first space trip on March 29th.

She earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor's degree in Physics, and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

NASA announced last week that its stay aboard the International Space Station had been extended until February 2020. Its 328 days would break the record for the longest space flight made by a woman.

The International Space Station averages 240 km above the Earth.

During its release in space on March 29, Koch installed batteries to power the research laboratory of the station.