Jeanette Epps

Jeanette Epps is an American astronaut and aerospace engineer who has made significant contributions to the field of space exploration. She was born on November 3, 1970, in Syracuse, New York, and has been a part of the NASA astronaut corps since 2009.

Early Life and Education

Epps was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, where she attended Corcoran High School. She later pursued her undergraduate degree in Physics at Le Moyne College before moving on to the University of Maryland, College Park for her master's and doctoral degrees in Aerospace Engineering.

Career

After completing her education, Epps worked in research at the Ford Motor Company, and later at the CIA as a technical intelligence officer. In 2009, she was selected by NASA as part of their 20th astronaut class. Epps underwent two years of initial training and evaluation, and upon completion, was assigned to the Astronaut Office's Exploration Branch, where she worked on issues related to the operation of the International Space Station.

In 2017, Epps was assigned to her first space flight, a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station, as a flight engineer for Expedition 56/57. However, in 2018, NASA announced that Epps had been replaced for the mission by her backup, Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor. The reasons for the change were not publicly disclosed.

In 2020, NASA announced that Epps would be a crew member for the first operational mission of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station, making her the first African American woman to join an International Space Station crew.

Awards and Honors

Epps has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including the NASA Group Achievement Award, the University of Maryland Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Le Moyne College Distinguished Alumni Award.

See Also

• List of African-American astronauts
• Women in space

References

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  SpaceX Crew-8 logo
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  Jeanette Epps on a panel at Dublin 2019, an Irish Worldcon