NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps will make history subsequent year whilst she becomes the primary black female astronaut to be a group member of the worldwide space Station.
Epps, who has a doctorate in aerospace engineering and worked for the CIA as a technical intelligence officer for seven years previous to joining the astronaut corps in 2009, has been assigned to NASA Boeing Starliner-1.
“Epps will be a part of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Josh Cassada for a six-month excursion planned for a launch in 2021 to the orbiting area laboratory,” NASA stated in a launch. “The flight will observe NASA certification after a successful uncrewed Orbital Flight take a look at-2 and crew Flight check with astronauts.”
In a tweet, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Epps became a “incredible addition” to the team.
The forty nine-12 months-vintage Epps responded, tweeting she is “looking forward to the challenge.
“I’m exquisite excited to join Suni Williams and Josh Cassada on the first operational Boeing group task to the global space Station,” Epps stated in the video message. “I’ve flown in helicopters with Suni flying and that i’ve flown in the backseat of a T38 with Josh flying and they may be each high-quality people to paintings with, so I’m searching forward to the task.”
Williams and Cassada both welcomed Epps to the undertaking in videos posted to Twitter.
Cassada joins Epps in making his first area task, even as it’ll be the third ride to the ISS for Williams. She formerly went on Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33.
Epps was scheduled to emerge as the first black astronaut to end up a member of the ISS team in 2018, but she changed into pulled from the challenge, replaced by using her backup, Serena Aunon-Chancellor, who have become the first Hispanic lady to stay on the ISS.
NASA did now not offer a motive for Epps’ elimination at the time however mentioned she would be taken into consideration for future missions.
Epps’ brother, Henry, claimed racism changed into the motive his sister became pulled from the mission.
It’s no longer uncommon for crew modifications to be made on space flights, even ones that come at the last minute. Ken Mattingly turned into pulled from Apollo thirteen and changed by means of Jack Swigert because of exposure to German measles, even though he by no means shriveled the disorder. Mattingly subsequently flew to the moon on Apollo 16, making him one among only 24 people to head on lunar missions.
Considering the fact that becoming an astronaut, Epps has aided ISS crews from the ground, which includes as lead CAPCOM, speaking between venture manipulate and the astronauts on numerous missions, space.com suggested.
