Jeanette J. Epps has been assigned to her first spaceflight, Expedition 56/57. She has been assigned to serve as Flight Engineer for Expedition 56 and remain on board for Expedition 57, scheduled to launch in May 2018.

Dr. Epps was selected as one of 14 members of the twentieth NASA astronaut class in July 2009. Her Astronaut Candidate Training included spacewalk training, robotics, T‐38 jet training, and Outdoor School training.

Dr. Epps also took part in NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation), geologic studies in Hawaii, Russian language immersion in Moscow, as well as continued training in robotics and T‐38.

While waiting for a mission assignment, Dr. Epps served as a representative to the Generic Joint Operation Panel working on crew efficiency on the space station and served as a Crew Support Astronaut for two expeditions, and in mission control.

Before she became an Astronaut

After graduating from Thomas J. Corcoran High School, Syracuse, New York in 1988, she earned a bachelor’s degree in physics at LeMoyne College in 1992. Two years later, she earned a Master of Science and then a Doctorate of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland in 2000.

As a NASA Fellow during graduate school, Dr. Epps’s research involved testing of composite swept‐tip beams, comparative analysis of analytical models and experimental data for shape memory alloys and the application of shape memory alloy actuators for tracking helicopter rotor blades.

She did post-graduate research at Ford Motor Company’s Scientific Research Laboratory and completed proof‐of‐concept work on magnetostrictive actuators to reduce vibrations that enter a vehicle via the suspension control arms, which resulted in a provisional patent. Also at Ford, Dr. Epps participated in research involving automobile collision location detection and countermeasure systems, which resulted in the granting of a U.S. Patent.

In 2002, Dr. Epps joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where she spent more than 7 years working as a Technical Intelligence Officer. She received multiple performance rewards for her work at the CIA. Currently, she serves in the ISS Operations Branch working in support of space station crews.