Jeanette Epps Explained

Jeanette Epps
Birth Name:Jeanette Jo Epps
Birth Date:3 November 1970
Birth Place:Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Education:Le Moyne College (BS)
University of Maryland, College Park (MS, PhD)
Type:NASA astronaut
Time:235 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes
Selection:NASA Group 20 (2009)
Missions:SpaceX Crew-8 (Expeditions 70/71/72)
Module:
Embed:yes
Field:Aerospace engineering
Thesis Title:In-Flight Tracking of Helicopter Rotor Blades with Tabs Using Shape Memory Alloy Actuators
Thesis Url:http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47935530
Thesis Year:2000
Doctoral Advisor:Inderjit Chopra

Jeanette Jo Epps (born November 3, 1970) is an American aerospace engineer and NASA astronaut. Epps received both her M. S. and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, where she was part of the rotor-craft research group and was a NASA GSRP Fellow. She was chosen for the 20th class of NASA astronauts in 2009, graduating in 2011. She currently serves as a member of the ISS Operations Branch and has completed analog astronaut missions, including NEEMO 18 and CAVES 19. She is the second woman and first African-American woman to have participated in CAVES. She was part of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission, that spent 235 days on the ISS from launch on March 4, 2024, to return to Earth on October 25, 2024.

Early life and education

Jeanette Epps was born in Syracuse, New York,[1] one of seven children born to Henry and Luberta (Jackson) Epps, Mississippians who moved to Syracuse as part of the Great Migration.[2] [3] [4] She and her twin sister Janet excelled in math and science. She graduated from Corcoran High School in Syracuse and earned a B.S. degree in physics from Le Moyne College and an M.S. and a Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Early research and career

While pursuing her M.S. and Ph.D at the University of Maryland, Epps was awarded a NASA GRSP Fellowship and went on to publish many academic works which have been highly cited. Her research was focused in the area of materials engineering, which included comprehensive testing of composite swept-tip beams, comparison of analytical models with experimental results for shape memory alloys, and use of shape memory alloy actuators for tracking helicopter rotor blades in-flight.[9] [10]

After graduating, Epps worked in research at Ford Motor Company, then as a Technical Intelligence Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. Her work at the Ford Motor Company, resulted in a provisional patent involving the application of magnetostrictive actuators to reduce vibrations in the suspension control arms, and later, a US patent for detection of the location of a frontal collision in an automobile.[11] She worked at the CIA for seven years, including deployments to Iraq.[12]

NASA career

In June 2009, Epps was selected as an astronaut candidate for the 20th class of NASA astronauts and later qualified in 2011. Her training included extensive Russian, spacewalk (EVA) and robotics training, along with geology.[13] She has also completed T-38 jet training and has attended the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).[13]

Epps subsequently served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 18 undersea exploration mission for nine days starting on July 21, 2014.[14] [15] She has also participated in geologic studies in Hawaii. Epps has worked with the Generic Joint Operation Panel as a representative, which included work on crew efficiency on the ISS. This work resulted in her winning the Johnson Space Center Director's Innovation Group Achievement Award in 2013. She has also worked as CAPCOM for Mission Control, including serving as lead CAPCOM, and currently serves in ISS Operations Branch. Epps has also completed training in winter and water survival in Star City, Russia.[16]

ISS Expeditions 56/57 and ESA

On January 4, 2017, NASA announced that Epps would be assigned as a flight engineer to the International Space Station (ISS) in mid-2018 for Expeditions 56 and 57, but on January 16, 2018, NASA announced that Epps had been replaced by her backup Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor and would instead be "considered for assignment to future missions".[17] The reason for Epps' removal was not stated, and a NASA spokesperson said, "These decisions are personnel matters for which NASA doesn't provide information."[18] The Washington Post stated that "Last-minute crew changes are not unusual at NASA,"[19] although Epps’ brother blamed racism for her removal.[20] [21]

In 2019, Epps completed the ESA CAVES training program simulating the demands of exploring unknown terrains like those of the Moon and Mars.[22] [23] Epps is the second woman to participate in CAVES, following fellow NASA astronaut, Jessica Meir.[24] [25] [26]

Epps also speaks to gatherings and has done so at the University of Maryland multiple times, including at the 2013 winter commencement ceremony for the university's engineering school.[27] [28] She is currently a Member of the Society for Science & the Public, in addition to the AIAA. Epps was a special guest at the 77th World Science Fiction Convention in Dublin, Ireland.[29]

Boeing Starliner-1

On August 25, 2020, NASA announced that Epps would join Starliner-1, the first operational mission of Boeing's Starliner to the ISS, which was delayed from its scheduled launch in the summer of 2021.[30] [31] According to The New York Times, the launch would have made Epps "the first Black woman to be part of an I.S.S. crew," a milestone that was ultimately reached instead by Jessica Watkins in 2022.[32] [33] [34] African-American astronauts were members of Space Shuttle crews to the ISS while the station was being constructed, but until Victor Glover went to the station in May 2021, none had made an extended stay as a crew member.[35]

Epps began cross-training on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft as the Starliner-1 mission kept getting delayed.[36]

SpaceX Crew-8

In August 2023, NASA announced that Epps would fly as a Mission Specialist on SpaceX Crew-8, a half-year mission to the ISS that launched on March 4, 2024 onboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour.[37] The mission made her the second African-American woman to be part of a long-duration mission onboard the ISS.[38] The mission spent extra time in space because of a month-long delay in launching SpaceX Crew-9.[39] They then spent a few extra weeks removing seating and other equipment in Endeavour that was needed for Boeing Crew Flight Test mission astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.[40] Weather in the landing zones then caused further delays, but Epps and her crew mates finally splashed down off of the coast of Pensacola, Florida on October 25, 2024.[41] The mission’s 235 days in low-Earth orbit set the single-mission record for the longest time an American crewed spacecraft spent in space.[39]

Awards and honors

Honorary doctorates

Selected publications

Epps has authored several highly referenced works, including conference and journal papers from her graduate research, along with a patent from her work at the Ford Motor Company.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NASA Selects New Astronauts for Future Space Exploration . NASA HQ. June 29, 2009. NASA. June 20, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20090801162824/http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/ascans2009.html. August 1, 2009.
  2. News: Syracuse native, a Le Moyne graduate, trains to be an astronaut. syracuse.com. December 9, 2017. en-US.
  3. Web site: Mammie Jackson's Obituary on Syracuse Post Standard. Syracuse Post Standard. December 9, 2017.
  4. Book: Epps, Mr Henry Harrison Jr.. Second Chance Connections Inc Handbook: Restoration Manuel. June 14, 2015. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 9781514352489. en.
  5. Web site: JEANETTE J. EPPS: Biographical data. NASA. February 14, 2014. May 2011.
  6. Web site: Jeanette J. Epps Oral History. NASA. October 18, 2015. February 16, 2012.
  7. Web site: Aero Alum and NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps speaks at UMD. July 12, 2020. aero.umd.edu. en.
  8. Web site: Harless. Josh. Universe of Possibilities. July 12, 2020. en-US. September 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918105024/https://terp.umd.edu/universe-of-possibilities/. dead.
  9. Web site: Google Scholar. July 12, 2020. scholar.google.com.
  10. Jeanette J Epps. Inderjit Chopra. February 2001. In-flight tracking of helicopter rotor blades using shape memory alloy actuators. Smart Materials and Structures. en. 10. 1. 104–111. 10.1088/0964-1726/10/1/310. 2001SMaS...10..104E. 250829326 . 0964-1726.
  11. Automobile frontal collision location detection for coordinated activation of safety systems. US. 7321817. 2008-01-22. Ford Global Technologies LLC. Prakah-Asante. Kwaku O.. Rao. Manoharprasad K.. Strumolo. Gary S.. Epps. Jeanette J..
  12. News: Nasa removes US astronaut from ISS mission. bbc.com. January 21, 2018. en-US.
  13. Web site: NASA PAO. February 18, 2016. Jeanette J. Epps (PH.D.) NASA Astronaut. July 12, 2020. NASA PAO Biographies . National Space and Aeronautics Administration . Washington, D.C..
  14. Web site: NASA Announces Two Upcoming Undersea Missions. June 10, 2014. NASA. June 26, 2014.
  15. Web site: NEEMO returns with two new underwater missions. Bergin. Chris. June 11, 2014. NASASpaceflight. June 24, 2014.
  16. Web site: September 12, 2019. Meet the cavenauts – Jeanette Epps. July 12, 2020. Caves & pangaea blog.
  17. Northon . Karen . Press release 18-004: NASA Announces Updated Crew Assignments for Space Station Missions. NASA Public Affairs Office . National Space and Aeronautics Administration . Washington, D.C. . January 18, 2018 . January 21, 2017.
  18. News: NASA removes astronaut Jeanette Epps, Syracuse high school grad, from flight crew. syracuse.com. January 21, 2018. en-US.
  19. News: Kaplan. Sarah. NASA pulled this astronaut from a space station crew. Her brother blames racism.. January 23, 2018. The Washington Post. January 22, 2018.
  20. News: NASA's Jeanette Epps' brother blames racism for why she got removed from her upcoming mission. January 23, 2018. Newsweek. January 21, 2018. en.
  21. News: NASA faces calls for reinstatement of first African American on International Space Station crew. January 23, 2018. Houston Chronicle. January 22, 2018.
  22. Web site: CAVES and Pangaea. July 12, 2020. www.esa.int. en.
  23. July 1, 2021. Speleology as an analogue to space exploration: The ESA CAVES training programme. Acta Astronautica. en. 184. 150–166. 10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.04.003. 0094-5765. Sauro. Francesco. De Waele. Jo. Payler. Samuel J.. Vattano. Marco. Sauro. Francesco Maria. Turchi. Leonardo. Bessone. Loredana. 2021AcAau.184..150S. 234819922. 11585/819077. free.
  24. Web site: Meet the cavenauts – Jeanette Epps – Caves & pangaea blog. May 21, 2021. en-US.
  25. Web site: A helping hand in the dark – Caves & pangaea blog. May 21, 2021. en-US.
  26. Web site: September 11, 2019. A new journey into Earth for space exploration. July 12, 2020. Caves & pangaea blog.
  27. Web site: WIAA meets Jeanette Epps and Su Curley! – WIAA. July 12, 2020. blog.umd.edu. May 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160507003907/http://blog.umd.edu/umdwiaa/2015/11/23/wiaa-meets-jeanette-epps-and-su-curley/. dead.
  28. Web site: Epps to Deliver Winter Commencement Speech. July 13, 2020. enme.umd.edu. en.
  29. Web site: Dublin 2019-an Irish Worldcon: Special Guests. Dublin 2019. 10 May 2024.
  30. News: 2023-06-02 . Boeing and NASA Delay Launch of Starliner Astronaut Spacecraft Again . The New York Times . en . 2023-08-07 . Roston . Michael .
  31. Web site: Potter. Sean. August 25, 2020. Astronaut Jeanette Epps Joins First Operational Boeing Crew Mission. August 25, 2020. NASA.
  32. Web site: Najib . Shafiq . April 27, 2022 . NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins Makes History as First Black Woman on International Space Station Mission . 2023-08-07 . People . en.
  33. Web site: 2022-10-14 . NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 Mission . 2023-08-07 . blogs.nasa.gov . en-US.
  34. Web site: Victor Glover will be the first Black crew member on the space station. . Waller . Allyson . The New York Times . Next year, he [astronaut Victor Glover] could be followed by Jeanette Epps, who would be the first Black woman to be part of an I.S.S. crew. She will fly aboard the first operational crewed trip of Boeing's Starliner capsule.. November 15, 2020 . November 17, 2020.
  35. Web site: Whiting . Melanie . 2016-02-04 . Victor J. Glover, Jr. (Captain, U.S. Navy) NASA Astronaut . 2023-08-07 . NASA.
  36. Web site: Potter . Sean . June 16, 2022 . NASA Updates Astronaut Assignments for Boeing Starliner Test Flight . June 17, 2022 . NASA.
  37. Web site: Space Station Assignments Out for NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission. 5 August 2023. 5 August 2023.
  38. News: Howell . Elizabeth. NASA selects astronauts for SpaceX Crew-8 mission to International Space Station . Space.com. . New York . 4 August 2023. 2023-08-07.
  39. News: Foust . Jeff . Crew-8 returns to Earth . . 25 October 2024 . 25 October 2024.
  40. News: Clark . Stephen . Astronaut hospitalized after returning from 235-day space mission . . . New York . 25 October 2024 . 25 October 2024.
  41. News: Harwood . William . Returning astronauts taken to “local medical facility” after initial checks aboard recovery ship . Spaceflight Now . 25 October 2024 . 25 October 2024.
  42. https://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/yolanda-adams-jeanette-epps-among-honorary-members-inducted-into-aka/#:~:text=Alpha%20Kappa%20Alpha%20Sorority%2C%20Incorporated,Banks%2C%20astronaut%20Jeanette%20J. Yolanda Adams, Jeanette Epps among honorary members inducted into AKA

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