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Moon Landing Space Exploration

NASA announced the next Lunar Landing astronauts and one of them will be the first woman on the Moon

NASA is returning to the Moon under the Artemis program. Today, the space agency published an exciting video and announced the next lunar landing astronaut candidates. One of them will be the first woman on the Moon.

With Artemis, NASA is going to Moon again – this time, to stay

Meet the Artemis Team: NASA has selected an initial team of astronauts – the Artemis Team – to help pave the way for our next human missions on and around the Moon. The Artemis program includes sending the first woman and the next man to walk on the lunar surface. Here is the Artemis team.

Transcript of the video:

At NASA, we have always answered the innate call to go. Now, we’re returning to the Moon under the Artemis program to learn to live and work on another world for the benefit of humanity.

With Artemis, we are going to stay. Proving that humanity can live on the Moon, Mars, and other worlds and share the wonders of the Solar System with all.

Our story is one of the people all those who make this journey possible, from advocates across communities to companies across industries, to countries around the world, we achieve this collective endeavor.

Our efforts create an impact for all. Technologies that revolutionize industries and jobs that bring prosperity to people.

The discoveries from space benefit the way we live on Earth today. And those from the Moon will create a better future for generations to come.

But to do that, we must go.

NASA’s Artemis Team Astronauts – one of them will be the first woman on the Moon

NASA Artemis Team - Future moon landing astronauts - one of them will be the first woman on the Moon
NASA’s Artemis Team – Future moon landing astronauts – one of them will be the first woman on the Moon: Joseph Acaba, Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Victor Glover, Warren Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Christina H. Koch, Kjell Lindgren, Nicole A. Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir, Jasmin Moghbeli, Kate Rubins, Frank Rubio, Scott Tingle, Jessica Watkins, and Stephanie Wilson.

The first woman to go to the Moon is planned for 2024, as part of the Artemis program. Here are the astronauts of NASA’s Artemis Team, sorted by last names:

  • Joseph Acaba
  • Kayla Barron
  • Raja Chari
  • Matthew Dominick
  • Victor Glover
  • Warren Hoburg
  • Jonny Kim
  • Christina H. Koch
  • Kjell Lindgren
  • Nicole A. Mann
  • Anne McClain
  • Jessica Meir
  • Jasmin Moghbeli
  • Kate Rubins
  • Frank Rubio
  • Scott Tingle
  • Jessica Watkins
  • Stephanie Wilson

9 of the 18 selected astronauts are women. One of them will be the first woman on the Moon!

Joseph Acaba

Experience

Acaba was a member of the United States Marine Corps, Reserves. He worked as a hydro-geologist in Los Angeles, California, primarily on Superfund sites, and was involved in the assessment and remediation of groundwater contaminants. He spent two years in the United States Peace Corps as an Environmental Education Awareness Promoter in the Dominican Republic.

He was also the manager of the Caribbean Marine Research Center at Lee Stocking Island in the Exumas, Bahamas. Prior to arriving at NASA, he taught one year of high school science at Melbourne High School, Florida, and four years of middle school math and science at Dunnellon Middle School, Florida.

NASA Experience

Selected as a mission specialist by NASA in May 2004. In February 2006, he completed astronaut candidate training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in the space shuttle and International Space Station systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. Upon completion of his training, Acaba was assigned to the Hardware Integration Team in the Space Station Branch, working on technical issues with European Space Agency (ESA) hardware.

He was also a member of the Space Shuttle Branch, supporting shuttle launch and landing preparations at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Acaba served as the Branch Chief of the International Space Station Operations branch, which is responsible for mission preparation and on-orbit support of space station crews. Most recently, Acaba recently served as Director of Operations Russia in Star City supporting crew training in Soyuz and Russian Segment systems.

Spaceflight Experience

STS-119 (March 15 to March 28, 2009): This was the 125th space shuttle flight, the 36th flight of Discovery, and the 28th shuttle flight to the International Space Station. The primary objective of this flight was to deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and truss element to the International Space Station. Acaba accumulated 12 hours and 57 minutes of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) in two spacewalks. STS-119 returned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, having traveled 202 orbits and 5.3 million statute miles in 12 days, 19 hours, and 29 minutes.

Expedition 31/32 (May 15 through September 17, 2012): Acaba launched on May 15, 2012, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Acaba landed their Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft in Kazakhstan on September 17, 2012. Acaba spent 123 days aboard the station as a Flight Engineer of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

Acaba supported the arrival of the first commercial resupply spacecraft, SpaceX’s Dragon, in late May; and was the prime robotic arm operator for the capture and release of the third Japanese cargo ship, HTV3. Acaba served as an intra-vehicular crew member and robotic arm operator for two U.S.-based spacewalks, helping to restore a critical power unit and exchange a faulty camera on the station’s robotic arm.

Acaba also participated in numerous scientific research experiments and performed regular maintenance and operational tasks aboard the orbiting complex.

Expedition 53/54 (September 13 through February 28, 2018): The crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Acaba, who served as Flight Engineer, was joined by Astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos.

During the mission the crew marked the beginning of the first long-term increase in crew size on the U.S. segment, enabling NASA to double the time dedicated to research and achieve a record-setting week of research that surpassed 100 hours. Highlights from this research include investigations into the manufacturing of fiber optic filaments in microgravity, improving the accuracy of an implantable glucose biosensor, and measuring the Sun’s energy input to Earth.

As of December 2020, Acaba completed one spacewalk to lubricate an end effector and install new cameras on the station’s arm and truss. Acaba has logged a total of 306 days in space on three flights.

Kayla Barron

Experience

Barron was commissioned as a Navy officer in 2010 and immediately attended graduate school. Her graduate research focused on modeling the fuel cycle for a next-generation, thorium-fueled nuclear reactor concept.

Following graduate school, Barron attended the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power and submarine officer training before being assigned to the USS Maine, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine homeported in Bangor, Washington.

Barron qualified as a submarine warfare officer and completed three strategic deterrent patrols while serving as a division officer aboard the USS Maine. At the time of her selection, Barron was serving as the Flag Aide to the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

NASA Experience

Barron reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. She is currently awaiting flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various unit commendations. Trident Scholar and Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Naval Academy. Gates Cambridge Scholar.

Raja Chari

Experience

At the time of his selection in June 2017, Chari was a Colonel select in the U.S. Air Force, serving as the Commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the Director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force. He has accumulated more than 2,000 hours of flight time in the F-35, F-15, F-16, and F-18 including F-15E combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployments in support of the Korean peninsula.

NASA Experience

Chari reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. He is currently awaiting flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal, a Korean Defense Service Medal, and the Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. Named distinguished graduate from the US Air Force Academy, Undergraduate Pilot Training, and the F-15E Formal Training Unit.

Matthew Dominick

Experience

Dominick was commissioned through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) following graduation from the University of San Diego in 2005 and reported to Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. He was designated as a Naval Aviator in 2007 and reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 106, Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, for transition to the F/A 18E Super Hornet.

Following his initial training, Dominick was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 143. He made two deployments to the North Arabian Sea, flying close air support missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

While with Strike Fighter Squadron 143, Dominick was selected to attend the Naval Postgraduate School / U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Co-Operative Program, where he earned a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

Designated a developmental test pilot in 2013, Dominick was assigned to the fixed wing carrier suitability flight test department of Air Test Evaluation Squadron 23. There he served as developmental flight test project officer for a variety of carrier suitability test programs, including MAGIC CARPET, Joint Precision Approach & Landing Systems, Infrared Search and Track Pod, and the precision approach and landing certification of aircraft carriers. He flew developmental flight tests in the F/A-18ABCD, F/A-18E/F, and EA-18G.

Additionally, he contributed to X-47B, Unmanned Carrier Launched Surveillance and Strike, V 22, T-45, E-2C, C-2A, and F-35C test programs. In 2016, Dominick returned to an operational naval squadron, Strike Fighter Squadron 115, flying F/A-18E Super Hornets in the Forward Deployed Naval Forces stationed in Atsugi, Japan.

At the time of his selection as an Astronaut Candidate in June 2017, Dominick was at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) serving in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator and a department head for Strike Fighter Squadron 115. He has accumulated more than 1,600 flight hours in 28 aircraft models, 400 carrier arrestments, 61 combat missions, and nearly 200 flight test carrier landings (arrested and touch-and-go).

NASA Experience

Dominick reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. He is currently awaiting flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

2015 Naval Test Wing Atlantic Test Pilot of the Year; Member of the 2015 Department of the Navy Test Team of the Year; Strike Flight Air Medal (three awards); Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal; and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three awards).

Victor Glover

Experience

Following commissioning, Glover began preflight training in Pensacola, Florida, and completed his advanced flight training in Kingsville, Texas, earning his wings of gold on December 14, 2001.

In 2002, Glover reported to the Marine Fleet Replacement Squadron, VMFAT‐101, in Miramar, California. In 2003, after completing the F/A‐18C syllabus, he was assigned to the Blue Blasters of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA‐34 in Oceana, Virginia.

With the Blue Blasters, he completed the final deployment of the USS John F. Kennedy (CV‐67) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed, he completed a Space Systems Certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS).

Glover was then selected as the United States Navy’s exchange pilot to attend the Air Force Test Pilot School. During the one‐year experimental test piloting course, he flew more than 30 aircraft in the U.S. and Italy. On June 9, 2007, he was designated a test pilot.

Glover then served as a test pilot with the Dust Devils of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX‐31 in China Lake, California, testing various weapons systems on the F/A ‐ 18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA‐18G Growler. In his off‐duty hours, he earned a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering via NPS in Monterey, California.

In 2009, Glover received orders to the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Following graduation, Glover reported to the Dambusters of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA‐195, in Atsugi, Japan, where he served as a Department Head. With the Dambusters, he deployed three times to various locations in the Pacific Ocean.

In 2012, Glover was selected for the Legislative Fellowship. He reported to the Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C., and was assigned to the office of a U.S. Senator. While in Washington D.C., he completed a Certificate in Legislative Studies at Georgetown University. Glover was a Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Senate when selected as an astronaut candidate.

Glover accumulated 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, over 400 carrier arrested landings and 24 combat missions.

NASA Experience

Glover was selected in 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. In 2015, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training, including scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

Glover is currently serving as pilot and second-in-command on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon, named Resilience, which launched November 15, 2020. He will also serve as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 64.

Awards/Honors

Ontario High School 1994 athlete of the year; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Service to the Community Award and community service notation on transcripts; Distinguished Graduate and Regimental Commander, U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School; Onizuka Prop Wash Award, United States Air Force Test Pilot School; Distinguished Graduate, Air Command and Staff College; Named one of Jet Magazine’s inaugural 40 under 40 in 2013. Military decorations include a Navy Commendation Medal and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Warren Hoburg

Experience

At the time of his selection in June 2017, Hoburg was an assistant professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, where he taught undergraduate courses on Dynamics and Flight Vehicle Engineering. Hoburg’s research focused on efficient methods for design of engineering systems. His group produced and maintains the open-source software tool GPkit, which is a Python package for geometric programming.

His group’s tools were used to design a five-day endurance UAV currently under development for the US Air Force. Prior to MIT, he worked for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Product Development on software for composite manufacturing processes. From 2010-2013, he was a seasonal member of Yosemite Search and Rescue and an Operations Leader for the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit.

NASA Experience

Hoburg reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. He is currently awaiting flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

He is a two-time recipient of the AIAA Aeronautics and Astronautics Teaching Award in recognition of outstanding teaching at MIT. From 2009-2013 he was a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow. Class of 2020 AIAA Associate Fellow.

Jonny Kim

Experience

Kim enlisted in the Navy as a Seaman recruit after graduating high school in 2002. After completion of Hospital Corpsman “A” school training, he reported to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA.

After completing his training at Naval Special Warfare, Kim reported to John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Bragg, NC, for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course. He was assigned as a Special Warfare Operator to SEAL Team THREE Charlie Platoon in San Diego, California, and obtained various qualifications including Military Freefall Parachutist, Combatant Diver (closed circuit rebreather), Naval Special Warfare Special Reconnaissance Scout and Sniper, and Advanced Special Operations Techniques.

Kim served as a Special Operations Combat Medic, sniper, navigator, and point man on more than 100 combat operations spanning two deployments to the Middle East including Ramadi and Sadr City, Iraq. He was commissioned as a naval officer through the Navy’s enlisted-to-officer commissioning program, Seaman to Admiral-21, following graduation from the University of San Diego in 2012.

Upon graduation from Harvard Medical School in 2016, Kim began his medical internship with Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency. At the time of his astronaut selection in June 2017, Kim was a resident physician in emergency medicine with Partners Healthcare at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Kim remains on active duty as a Navy Lieutenant at NASA.

NASA Experience

Kim reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. Training included technical and operational instruction in International Space Station systems, Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Operations, T-38 flight training, robotics, physiological training, expeditionary training, field geology, water and wilderness survival training, and Russian language proficiency training. He will be assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office while he awaits flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, Combat Action Ribbon, and various campaign and service awards.

Christina H. Koch

Experience

Christina Koch’s career prior to becoming an astronaut spanned two general areas: space science instrument development and remote scientific field engineering. Her career began as an Electrical Engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, where she contributed to scientific instruments on several NASA space science missions.

Koch then became a Research Associate in the United States Antarctic Program from 2004 to 2007. This included a yearlong stay with a winter-over at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and a season at Palmer Station. While in this role, she served as a member of the Firefighting and Search and Rescue Teams. From 2007 to 2009, Koch returned to space science instrument development as an Electrical Engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s Space Department.

She contributed to instruments studying radiation for NASA missions, including Juno and the Van Allen Probes. In 2010, Koch returned to remote scientific fieldwork with tours including Palmer Station in Antarctica and multiple winter seasons at Summit Station in Greenland.

In 2012, Koch continued work at remote scientific bases with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She served as a Field Engineer at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Division Baseline Observatory in Utqiagvik, Alaska, and then as Station Chief of the American Samoa Observatory. Throughout her career, she was involved in technical instructing, volunteer tutoring, and educational outreach.

NASA Experience

Koch participated in the NASA Academy program at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in 2001 and worked as an Electrical Engineer at GSFC from 2002 to 2004. Koch was selected in June 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class.

Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station (ISS) systems, plus training and certification in spacewalking, ISS robotics, T-38, and T-6 aircraft flight, and Russian language. In 2018, she was assigned to her first space flight, a long-duration mission on the International Space Station.

Koch was a part of ISS Expeditions 59, 60, and 61. She launched on March 14, 2019, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Soyuz spacecraft with NASA Astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin.

She returned to Earth on February 6, 2020, on a Soyuz spacecraft with ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. The crews she served on contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences, and technology development.

Some of the scientific highlights from her missions include improvements to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which studies dark matter, growing protein crystals for pharmaceutical research, and testing 3D biological printers to print tissues in microgravity.

As of December 2020, Koch conducted six spacewalks, including the first three all-women spacewalks, totaling 42 hours and 15 minutes. She has spent a total of 328 days in space.

Awards/Honors

Astronautics Engineer Award, National Space Club & Foundation, 2020; Global ATHENA Leadership Award, ATHENA International, 2020, NASA Group Achievement Award, NASA Juno Mission Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument, 2012; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Invention of the Year nominee, 2009; United States Congress Antarctic Service Medal with Winter-Over distinction, 2005; NASA Group Achievement Award, NASA Suzaku Mission X-ray Spectrometer Instrument, 2005.

Kjell Lindgren

Experience

At the U.S. Air Force Academy, Lindgren was a member of the “Wings of Blue” parachute team, where he served as an instructor, a jumpmaster, and a member of the academy’s intercollegiate national championship team.

As a part of his masters’ studies at CSU, Lindgren conducted cardiovascular countermeasure research in the Space Physiology Lab at NASA Ames Research Center in Sunnyvale, California. He conducted high‐altitude physiology research during medical school.

Lindgren began working at Johnson Space Center in 2007. As a Wyle‐University of Texas Medical Branch flight surgeon, he supported International Space Station training and operations in Star City, Russia, and water survival training in Ukraine. At the time of his selection to the astronaut corps, he was serving as the Deputy Crew Surgeon for STS‐130 and Expedition 24.

NASA Experience

Lindgren was selected in June 2009 as one of nine members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Spacecraft Communicator (CAPCOM) branch and the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) branch. Lindgren served as lead CAPCOM for Expedition 30.

Spaceflight Experience

Expedition 44/45 (July 2015 to December 2015). Along with crewmates Russian Space Agency cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, Lindgren launched on the Soyuz TMA‐17M (callsign Antares) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 23, 2015, and docked to the station after four orbits.

hey joined Expedition 44 crewmembers Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and “One Year Mission” crew members NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.

During their 141 days aboard the station, the Antares crew participated in more than a hundred different scientific experiments including research in human physiology, fluid and combustion physics, Earth and space science, and technology development.

Their research included work with the “Veggie” lettuce experiment which represented the first time a U.S. crew has eaten a crop grown in orbit. The crew conducted dozens of repairs and enhancements to the station’s systems, including the installation of the NORS high-pressure gas replenishment system and internal cabling in preparation for the commercial crew vehicle docking and the Node 1 galley.

Lindgren and Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly conducted two spacewalks in late 2015. During their first spacewalk, Lindgren installed a thermal blanket on the Alpha‐Magnetic Spectrometer and routed external cables, while Kelly performed maintenance on the station robotic arm. Their second spacewalk focused on the maintenance of the space station’s external thermal control system.

Lindgren, Yui, and Kononenko landed their Soyuz spacecraft in Kazakhstan on December 11, 2015.

As of December 2020, he has logged 141 days in space and 15 hours and four minutes of spacewalk time.

Awards/Honors

NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2016); NASA Space Flight Medal (2016); NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal (2013); UTMB Outstanding Resident Award (2008); Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Primary Flight Surgeon Course (2007); William K. Douglas Aerospace Medicine Scholarship (2007); Hippocrates Award, University of Colorado School of Medicine (2002); Richard C. Hardin Award, University of Colorado School of Medicine (2001); Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (2001); Edgar and Marion Adler Scholar, University of Colorado School of Medicine (2001, 2002); U.S. Air Force Achievement Medal (1998).

Nicole A. Mann

Experience

Mann was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1999. Following graduate school, she completed The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia, and reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for flight training in 2001.

She earned her wings of gold as a Naval Aviator in 2003 and reported to VFA-106 for fleet training in the F/A-18C.

She began her operational flying career in 2004 with the Thunderbolts of VMFA-251 based out of Beaufort, South Carolina. During this assignment, she deployed twice with CVW-1 aboard the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) and flew combat missions in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM.

Upon return from her second deployment, Mann reported to the United States Naval Test Pilot School, Class 135, at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. In June 2009, she began her Developmental Test tour at Air Test and Evaluation Squadron TWO THREE (VX-23) as an F/A-18 Test Pilot/Project Officer. While at VX-23, Mann executed a variety of flight tests, including loads envelope expansion, flying qualities, carrier suitability, and ordnance separation in the F/A-18A-F.

In the spring of 2011, Mann assumed duties as the VX-23 Operations Officer. In July 2012, Mann was assigned to PMA-281 as the Joint Mission Planning System – Expeditionary (JMPS-E) Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead when she was selected as an astronaut candidate. She has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours in 25 types of aircraft, 200 carrier arrestments, and 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

NASA Experience

Mann was selected in June 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, Spacewalks, Russian language training, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

She completed Astronaut Candidate training in July 2015. She has served as the T-38 Safety and Training Officer and most recently completed a tour as the Assistant to the Chief for Exploration. She led the astronaut corps in the development of the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS), and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS). She is currently training for the crew flight test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, the first crewed flight for that vehicle.

Awards/Honors

Awarded two Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various unit commendations. Trident Scholar, Academic All-American (soccer), Distinguished Graduate – U.S. Naval Academy, Honor Graduate – U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Class 135, Leroy Grumman “Best Paper” Award – East Coast Society of Experimental Test Pilots Symposium, NASA 2015 Stephen D. Thorne Safety Award, and the 2017 Jerry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement.

Anne McClain

Experience

McClain was commissioned as an Army officer in 2002 and immediately attended graduate school. Her studies at the University of Bath focused on the unsteady aerodynamics and flow visualization of free-to-roll nonslender delta wings and her research was later published through the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

She concurrently researched the security burden in developing countries at the nearby University of Bristol.

Following graduate school, McClain earned her wings as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout/attack helicopter pilot. She began her operational flying career with 2nd Battalion, 6th Cavalry Regiment at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii as an Air Traffic Control Platoon Leader, Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Platoon Leader, then later Detachment Commander.

She served 15 months in Operation Iraqi Freedom, flying more than 800 combat hours on 216 combat missions as pilot-in-command and Air Mission Commander. In 2009, she attended the Aviation Captain’s Career Course and was then assigned to 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment at Fort Rucker as the battalion operations officer and OH-58D instructor.

In May 2010, she was appointed Commander of C Troop, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, responsible for the Army’s initial entry training, instructor pilot training, and maintenance test pilot training in the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.

She completed Command and General Staff College and the C-12 fixed-wing multiengine qualification courses in 2011 and 2012. She then attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, graduating with Class 143 in June 2013 at the same time she was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate.

McClain is a Senior Army Aviator and has logged more than 2,000 flight hours in 20 different rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. She is a rated pilot and instructor pilot in the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and a rated pilot in the C-12 Huron (King Air), UH-60 Blackhawk, and UH-72 Lakota.

NASA Experience

McClain was selected in June 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. She completed astronaut candidate training in July 2015 and is now qualified for future assignments.

Anne McClain most recently served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expeditions 58 and 59.

Spaceflight Experience

Expedition 58/59 (December 3, 2018, through June 24, 2019). The crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. McClain, who served as Flight Engineer, was joined by CSA Astronaut David Saint-Jacques, as well as Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.

The Expedition 59 crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science, including investigations into small devices that replicate the structure and function of human organs, editing DNA in space for the first time, and recycling 3D printed material.

McClain conducted two spacewalks totaling 13 hours and 8 minutes on her mission into space. She has spent a total of 204 days in space.

Awards/Honors

Awarded a Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with Valor, two Air Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with two Service Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and three Overseas Service Ribbons. Medals include the Combat Action Badge, Senior Aviator Badge, and Air Assault Badge.

Distinguished Honor Graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College ILE (2011). Distinguished Honor Graduate from the Army’s Captains Career Course (2009). Distinguished Honor Graduate of the Army’s Initial Entry Rotary Wing School (2006).

Graduated with distinction from the University of Bristol (2005). Marshall Scholarship (2002). Dennis Hart Mahan Memorial Award for excellence in Aeronautical Engineering (2002). National Fastpitch Coaching Association All-American Scholar-Athlete (1999 to 2002). USA Rugby Women’s National Team (2004 to 2006, and 2010 to 2012). Captain of USA Rugby South Women’s XV All-Stars (2009 to 2011).

Jessica Meir

Experience

For her doctorate research, Meir studied the diving physiology of marine mammals and birds, focusing on oxygen depletion in diving emperor penguins (Antarctic field research) and elephant seals (northern California). She investigated the high‐flying bar-headed goose during her post‐doctoral research at the University of British Columbia, training geese to fly in a wind tunnel while obtaining various physiological measurements in reduced oxygen conditions.

In 2012, Meir accepted a position as Assistant Professor at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, where she continued her research on the physiology of animals in extreme environments. She also took part in Smithsonian Institution diving expeditions to the Antarctic and Belize and has been very active with scientific outreach efforts.

NASA Experience

From 2000 to 2003, Meir worked for Lockheed Martin’s Human Research Facility (NASA Johnson Space Center), supporting human physiology research on the space shuttle and International Space Station. During this time, she also participated in research flights on NASA’s reduced gravity aircraft and served as an aquanaut crew member in the Aquarius underwater habitat for the 4th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission.

Meir was selected in June 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

In the astronaut office, Meir has extensive Mission Control Capsule Communicator (CapCom) experience, including serving as Lead CapCom for Expedition 47, the BEAM (Bigelow expandable module on the International Space Station) mission, and an HTV (Japanese Space Agency cargo vehicle) mission.

She was also the ground IV (mission control communicator to spacewalking astronauts) for two space station spacewalks. In 2016, Meir served as a crew member on the European Space Agency (ESA) CAVES space analog caving mission in Sardinia, Italy.

Spaceflight Experience

Expedition 61 and 62 (September 25, 2019, through April 17, 2020). The crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz spacecraft. Meir, who served as Flight Engineer, was also joined by Soyuz Commander Oleg Skripochka of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and the first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, Hazzaa Almansoori.

During her first spaceflight, Meir conducted the first three all-woman spacewalks with crewmate Christina Koch of NASA, totaling 21 hours and 44 minutes. The crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences, and technology development. Among the investigations to which she contributed is a study co-led by a former colleague of hers, examining how human heart tissue functions in space.

She spent 205 days in space, 3,280 orbits of Earth, and a trip of 86.9 million miles (as of December 2020).

PLease use crewed - Jessica Meir (left) and Christina Koch
October 15, 2019 – NASA astronauts Jessica Meir (left) and Christina Koch are inside the Quest airlock preparing the U.S. spacesuits and tools they will use on their first spacewalk together. The Expedition 61 flight engineers are holding the pistol grip tools they will use to swap out a failed power controller, also known as a battery charge-discharge unit, that regulates the charge to batteries that collect and distribute power to the International Space Station. Image: NASA (iss061e006501)

Awards/Honors

American Physiological Society Early Career Advocacy Science Policy Fellowship (2013); National Science Foundation International Research Post-doctoral Fellowship (2009); Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Scholar Award (2008); Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Fellowship (2006); Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship (2003); Lockheed Martin Space Operations (LMSO) Special Recognition Award (2002); LMSO Employee of the Month (2002); NASA JSC Space and Life Sciences Directorate Special Professional Achievement Award (2002); Lockheed Martin Technology Services “Lightning Award” (2002).

Jasmin Moghbeli

Experience

Moghbeli was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 2005 upon completion of her undergraduate degree. After completing Initial Flight School (IFS) and The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia, she reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida for flight training. She earned her wings of gold as a Naval Aviator in 2008 and reported to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 (HMLA/T‑303) for training in the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter.

She began her operational flying career in 2008 with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA‑367) Scarface at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton, California. She deployed with HMLA‑367 to support International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.

Upon return from deployment, she was attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (HMM‑163) Reinforced (REIN) at MCAS Miramar, California, and deployed in support of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in 2011. She was subsequently reassigned to HMLA‑367 and completed her third deployment with HMM‑262 (REIN) in support of the 31st MEU in 2012.

Upon return from her final deployment, she reported for duty at the United States Naval Test Pilot School in NAS Patuxent River, Maryland to join Class 144. She began her developmental test tour in 2014 with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX‑31) aboard NAS China Lake, California after completing a conversion syllabus to the upgraded AH‑1Z and UH‑1Y at MCAS Camp Pendleton.

While at VX-31, Moghbeli began pursuing her Master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School while executing a variety of flight tests, including several weapons systems, a ground proximity warning system, software upgrades, and electronic warfare pod. In 2017, Moghbeli reported to MCAS Yuma, Arizona to join Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX‑22) and, subsequently, became a plank holder for Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1).

At the time of her selection in June 2017, Moghbeli was testing H-1 helicopters and serving as the quality assurance and avionics officer for VMX-1. She has accumulated more than 150 combat missions and 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft.

NASA Experience

Moghbeli reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. She is currently awaiting flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Awarded four Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various unit commendations. Awarded the US Navy Test Pilot School Class 144 Outstanding Developmental Phase II Award and the Commander Willie McCool Outstanding Student Award as the Class 144 Honor Graduate.

Kate Rubins

Experience

Rubins conducted her undergraduate research on HIV-1 integration in the Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She analyzed the mechanism of HIV integration, including several studies of HIV-1 Integrase inhibitors and genome-wide analyses of HIV integration patterns into host genomic DNA.

She obtained her Ph.D. from Stanford University and, with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rubins and colleagues developed the first model of smallpox infection. She also developed a complete map of the poxvirus transcriptome and studied virus-host interactions using both in-vitro and animal model systems.

Rubins then accepted a Fellow/Principal Investigator position at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (MIT/Cambridge, Massachusetts) and headed a lab of 14 researchers studying viral diseases that primarily affect Central and West Africa. She traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to conduct research and supervise study sites.

Work in the Rubins Lab focused on poxviruses and host-pathogen interaction as well as viral mechanisms for regulating host cell mRNA transcription, translation, and decay. In addition, she conducted research on transcriptome and genome sequencing of filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg) and Arenaviruses (Lassa Fever) and collaborative projects with the U.S. Army to develop therapies for Ebola and Lassa viruses. Dr. Rubins has published and presented her work in numerous papers at international scientific conferences and in scientific journals.

NASA Experience

Rubins was selected in July 2009 as one of nine members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. Her training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

Spaceflight Experience

Expeditions 48 and 49 (July 2016 through October 2016.) On July 7th, 2016, Rubins launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station aboard the first test flight of the new Soyuz MS spacecraft.

Together the international crew of Expeditions 48 and 49 conducted or participated in more than 275 different scientific experiments including research in molecular and cellular biology, human physiology, fluid and combustion physics, Earth and space science, and technology development.

Rubins was the first person to sequence DNA in space, eventually sequencing over 2 billion base pairs of DNA during a series of experiments to analyze sequencing in microgravity. Rubins also grew heart cells (cardiomyocytes) in cell culture and performed quantitative, real-time PCR and microbiome experiments in orbit.

Rubins conducted two spacewalks totaling 12 hours, 46 minutes. During her first spacewalk, Rubins and Jeff Williams installed the first International Docking Adapter, a new docking port for U.S. commercial crew spacecraft. During the second, they performed maintenance of the station’s external thermal control system and installed high-definition cameras, enabling never-before-seen images of the planet and space station.

Jeff Williams and Rubins successfully captured SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply spacecraft and then returned science experiment samples to earth. During Expedition 49, Rubins and crewmate Takuya Onishi grappled Orbital ATK’s Cygnus resupply spacecraft, providing several tons of supplies and research experiments for future work on the orbital outpost.

Rubins has logged 115 days in space and 12 hours and 46 minutes of spacewalk time. She is currently serving aboard the International Space Station for a six-month mission as a flight engineer for the Expedition 63/64 crew.

Awards/Honors

Popular Science’s Brilliant Ten (2009), National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (2000), Stanford Graduate Fellowship – Gabilan Fellow (2000), UCSD Emerging Leader of the Year (1998), Order of Omega Honor Society Scholarship Award (1998).

Frank Rubio

Experience

Rubio served as a platoon leader in A Company, 2-82nd Assault Aviation (REDHAWKS), and as a company commander in A Company, 2-3rd Aviation (STORM). Rubio also served as a clinic supervisor, an executive medicine provider, and a flight surgeon at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. At the time of his selection in June 2017, Rubio was a battalion surgeon for the 3rd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the U.S. Army.

NASA Experience

Rubio reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. He is currently awaiting flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Rubio has been awarded the Bronze Star (second award), Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (second award), Army Commendation Medal (fourth award), and Army Achievement Medal (fourth award). He is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College, US Army Aviation Captain’s Career Course and Officer Basic Course, Joint Firepower Control Course, Cavalry Leader’s Course, and the US Army Flight Surgeon Course. He has earned the US Army Senior Aviator, Pathfinder, Air Assault, and Airborne badges.

Scott Tingle

Experience

Following graduate school, Captain Tingle spent three years with the Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California, as a member of technical staff in their Propulsion Department. He was commissioned as a naval officer in 1991 and earned his wings of gold as a naval aviator in 1993.

He began his operational flying career in 1994 with the Blue Diamonds of VFA-146 based in Lemoore, California. He deployed to the Western Pacific and North Arabian Gulf with Carrier Air Wing Nine aboard the USS Nimitz. Following graduation from Navy Test Pilot School in 1998, he performed as an operational test pilot for the FA-18E/F Super Hornet program with the Vampires of VX-9, located at China Lake, California.

Tingle then completed a CAG Paddles tour flying FA-18A/C Hornets with Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) aboard USS Carl Vinson. CVW-11 and USS Carl Vinson were first responders for the attacks of September 11, 2001, and Executed Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. After a tour as an assistant operations officer with the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and instructor pilot with VFA-122, he completed a department head tour as safety officer, maintenance officer, and operations officer while flying the FA-18A Hornet with the Warhawks of VFA-97 (Lemoore, California).

Tingle completed a deployment with CVW-11 to the Western Pacific/North Arabian Gulf and also deployed with Marine Air Group Twelve (MAG-12) to Iwakuni, Japan. In 2005, Tingle returned to Patuxent River, Maryland, as the Ship Suitability Department Head and test pilot with the Salty Dogs of VX-23. Here, he tested FA-18C Hornet, FA-18E/F Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler aircraft and certified aircraft carrier precision landing systems.

Tingle was attached to PMA-201 as the assistant program manager/systems engineer for the Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) and Harpoon weapon systems when selected as an astronaut. He has accumulated more than 4,500 flight hours in 51 types of aircraft, 750 carrier arrestments, and 54 combat missions.

NASA Experience

Captain Tingle was selected in July 2009 as one of nine members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. His training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.

Spaceflight Experience

Tingle was assigned as Flight Engineer and the United States Operational Segment Lead for Expedition 54/55 (December 17, 2017, through June 3, 2018) aboard the International Space Station. The crew launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the Soyuz spacecraft.

Tingle was joined by Russian Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. During the mission, hundreds of experiments were conducted, including materials testing, capillary flow experiments, combustion research, and research into plant growth in space. They also captured and released four cargo spacecraft delivering several tons of supplies and experiments.

Tingle and Kanai ventured outside the station on separate spacewalks to perform work on parts of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. They also participated in dozens of educational events as part of NASA’s Year of Education on Station.

Tingle returned to earth after 168 days of living and working in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Awards/Honors

Awarded a Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, NASA Space Flight Medal, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, three Air Medals, six Navy Commendation Medals including one with Combat Valor, four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various unit commendations.

Tingle graduated magna cum laude from Southeastern Massachusetts University. Outstanding Graduate of U.S. Navy Test Pilot School Class 113.

Jessica Watkins

Experience

As a graduate research fellow at UCLA, Watkins studied Mars surface processes, focusing her doctorate research on the emplacement mechanisms of large landslides on Mars and Earth through orbital image and spectral data analysis, geologic mapping, and fieldwork.

While at UCLA, she was also a teaching assistant for various courses in earth and planetary science. At the time of her selection in June 2017, Watkins was a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, where she collaborated as a member of the Science Team for the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity.

Her work there included participation in the daily planning of rover activities, testing of Mars rock physical properties using rover drill parameters, and multi-scale investigation of the geologic history of Gale crater, Mars.

While at Caltech, Dr. Watkins also served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Caltech Women’s Basketball team.

NASA Experience

During undergraduate internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Watkins conducted research on Mars soil simulant supporting the Phoenix Mars Lander mission. As a graduate student, Watkins participated in several internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), including analysis of near-earth asteroids discovered by the NEOWISE mission, tactical and strategic planning for the Curiosity mission, and system design testing for the Mars 2020 and Mars Sample Return missions.

In addition, she served as chief geologist for a NASA analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station in 2009 and as a science operations team member for a NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies analog mission in 2011. Watkins also served as an aquanaut crew member in the Aquarius underwater habitat for the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 23 mission in 2019.

Watkins reported for duty in August 2017 and completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, water and wilderness survival training, geology training, and expeditionary skills training. She is currently awaiting a flight assignment.

Awards/Honors

Stanford Earth Early-to-Mid-Career Alumni Award (2018); Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences Chair’s Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015); California Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015); NASA Group Achievement Award, Mars Science Laboratory Prime Mission Science and Operations Team (2015); UCLA Department of Earth and Space Sciences Harold and Mayla Sullwold Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Original Research (2012); National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in Geosciences (2012); UCLA Chancellor’s Prize (2010); California Space Grant Consortium Fellowship (2010); Division I College Rugby National Champion, Stanford Women’s Rugby (2008); USA Rugby Collegiate All-American (2008-2010); Women’s Sevens Rugby World Cup Semi-finalist, USA Eagles (2009).

Stephanie Wilson

Experience

After graduating from Harvard in 1988, Wilson worked two years for the former Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver, Colorado. As a loads and dynamics engineer for Titan IV, Wilson was responsible for performing coupled loads analyses for the launch vehicle and payloads during flight events. Wilson left Martin Marietta in 1990 to attend graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin.

Her research, sponsored by NASA’s Langley Research Center through a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Fellowship, focused on the control and modeling of large, flexible space structures, ultimately culminating in a thesis comparing structural dynamics methodologies and controller designs. Following the completion of her graduate work, she began working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California in 1992.

As a member of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem team for the Galileo spacecraft, Wilson was responsible for assessing attitude controller performance, science platform pointing accuracy, antenna pointing accuracy, and spin rate accuracy.

She worked in the areas of sequence development and testing as well. While at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Wilson also supported the Interferometry Technology Program as a member of the Integrated Modeling team, which was responsible for finite element modeling, controller design, and software development.

NASA Experience

Wilson was selected as an astronaut by NASA in April 1996 and reported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center In August 1996. She completed two years of training and evaluation and became qualified for flight assignment as a Mission Specialist.

Wilson was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Space Station branch to develop requirements for space station payload displays and procedures and to evaluate their user interfaces. She then served as a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) in the Astronaut Office CAPCOM Branch, working in the Mission Control Center as a prime communicator with several space shuttle and space station crews.

Following her work in mission control, Wilson was assigned technical duties involving the space shuttle main engines, external tank, and solid rocket boosters in the Astronaut Office Space Branch.

In November 2004, Wilson was assigned to STS-121. Following STS‑121, she served in the Astronaut Office Robotics branch performing robotics procedure reviews and serving as a robotics mentor and instructor astronaut. In November 2006, Wilson was assigned to STS-120. Following STS-120 she was assigned joint duty in both the Astronaut Office Exploration and International Space Station branches.

With respect to space station branch work, Wilson served as the Astronaut Office’s primary representative to the Generic Joint Operations Panel for space shuttle and space station issues. For the Exploration branch, she served as the Astronaut Office representative for the Orion Communications and Tracking System. In May 2009, Wilson was assigned to STS‑131.

Following STS-131, within the Space Station Integration branch, she served as the Operations Products lead further developing crew efficiencies in operations products, and as the Payload lead interfacing with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to resolve payload processes, operations nomenclature, and procedure issues. From 2010 to 2012 Wilson then served as the Space Station Integration Branch Chief, where she was responsible for overseeing team working updates, resolving issues, and bringing the crew perspective related to space station systems, payloads, operations products, and software interfaces.

As part of a unique opportunity in 2013, Wilson completed a nine-month detail to NASA’s Glenn Research Center as the Acting Chief of Program and Project Integration within the Spaceflight Systems Directorate. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the program, planning, and control functions for Glenn’s spaceflight projects.

Following her detail to Glenn, Wilson was assigned to the Space Station Operations branch as the lead Crew Support astronaut. She subsequently served as the Astronaut Office representative for space station stowage, food, and crew provisions.

She has served as the primary Astronaut Office representative to the Increased Crew Size Generic Operations Panel which assessed systems readiness for the space station to accept an increased crew size expected with the start of the Commercial Crew Program. Wilson has also served as a member of the 2009, 2013, and 2017 Astronaut Selection Boards and she currently serves as the Astronaut Office Mission Support Crew Branch Chief.

A veteran of three spaceflights, STS-121 in 2006, STS‑120 in 2007, and STS-131 in 2010, Wilson has logged more than 42 days in space.

Spaceflight Experience

STS-121 (July 4 through July 17, 2006): This was a Return to Flight test mission and assembly flight to the International Space Station. During the 13-day flight, the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery tested new equipment and procedures that increase the safety of the space shuttle and repaired a rail car on the station. Wilson served as the robotic arm operator for vehicle inspection and for the installation of the “Leonardo” Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.

She was also assigned as the loadmaster responsible for overseeing the transfer of more than 15,000 pounds of supplies and equipment to the space station. In addition, the crew delivered a new Expedition 13 crew member to the space station.

The mission was accomplished in 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes, and 54 seconds and produced never‑before-seen, high-resolution images of the shuttle during and after its July 4th launch.

STS-120 (October 23 through November 7, 2007): This mission was also designated as flight 10A in the International Space Station assembly sequence. Space Shuttle Discovery was launched from and returned to land at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. STS‑120 delivered the Node 2 “Harmony” module to the station, establishing the necessary capability for future international laboratories to be added to the space station.

STS-120 also delivered an Expedition 16 crew member and returned with an Expedition 15 crew member. During ascent and entry, Wilson served as the Flight Engineer, assisting the commander and pilot with space shuttle systems. She was also assigned as the primary robotic arm operator for vehicle inspection and spacewalk support, helping to replace the S-band antenna and to relocate the P6 solar array from the Z1 truss to the end of the Integrated Truss Segment.

During the deployment of the solar array, the array panels snagged and were damaged. Wilson was the primary robotic arm operator for the unplanned spacewalk that successfully repaired the solar array.

The mission was accomplished in 238 orbits, traveling 6.2 million miles in 15 days, 2 hours, and 23 minutes.

STS-131 (April 5 through April 20, 2010): This was a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Space Shuttle Discovery was launched pre-dawn from Kennedy Space Center. Once docked to the space station, the crew delivered more than 27,000 pounds (12 tonnes) of hardware, supplies, experiments, and equipment, including a tank full of ammonia coolant that required three spacewalks and robotics to install, new crew sleeping quarters, a window observation facility and a freezer for experiments.

During the mission, Wilson was responsible for robotics for spacewalking support using the space station robotic arm and for robotic removal of the “Leonardo” Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the payload bay of Discovery. For the return to Earth, Wilson robotically installed Leonardo, which was packed with more than 6,000 pounds (2.7 tonnes) of hardware, science results, and used supplies, inside Discovery’s payload bay.

The STS-131 mission was accomplished in 15 days, 2 hours, 47 minutes, and 10 seconds and traveled 6,232,235 statute miles in 238 orbits.

Awards/Honors

Several group achievement and performance awards (1992 to 2008); Young Outstanding Texas Exes Award (2005); Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year Award (2008); Harvard College Women’s Professional Achievement Award (2008); Honorary Doctorate of Science from Williams College (2011); NASA Space Flight Medal (2006, 2007, 2010); NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2009, 2011); Johnson Space Center Director’s Innovation Group Achievement Award (2013); Johnson Space Center Director Commendation Award (2013); University of Texas Distinguished Alumnus Award (2015); Honorary Doctorate of Science from Smith College (2016). Honorary Doctorate of Science from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (2018), Salem College Trailblazer Award (2019).

Sources

M. Özgür Nevres
Özgür Nevres

By M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer and a science enthusiast. I was graduated from the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Computer Engineering. In the past, I worked at the Istanbul Technical University Science Center as a science instructor. I write about the planet Earth and science on this website, ourplnt.com. I am also an animal lover! I take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

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