10 Things To Know About NASA’s New Astronaut Candidate Jessica Watkins

Getty via Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Apologies for this image of Mike Pence in this photo. What we're really here to discuss is NASA's new class of astronaut candidates. If you'll look closely, you'll see the diversity represented in the cast and the note of particular interest to us, Jessica Watkins, a Black woman. Check out 10 things we've learned about her since the news dropped. [caption id="attachment_822030" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Learning the alphabet closeup of child and mother black family[/caption] Bigstock

Passion for Space

There were several instances in Jessica's life that seemed to point toward a career in science. In an interview with a newspaper from her hometown of Boulder, Colorado, Watkins said, that she participated in an after school enrichment program in a building named after Judith A. Resnik, Elementary School in Gaithersburg, named after the second American woman in space, who died in the 1986 Challenger disaster. Watkins said she must have asked her parents about the name and that lit a spark within her. [caption id="attachment_833496" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Bigstock[/caption] Bigstock

Science Fairs

The passion grew during her years in middle school. She told Boulder's Daily Camera:  "I remember specifically working on a science, building model rockets and testing them. And having fun with that experiment has stuck with me and encouraged me to pursue this passion." [caption id="attachment_828503" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] Students Friends Meeting Discussion Studying Concept[/caption]

Education

So what do you study if you want to eventually become an astronaut. Well, NASA accepted U.S. citizens who had degrees in science, technology, engineering or math. Watkins earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University, and a Doctorate in Geology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) [caption id="attachment_833505" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Bigstock[/caption] Bigstock

Hobbies

According to NASA's profile of Watkins, in college played on Stanford's Women’s Rugby team as well as the USA Rugby Women’s Sevens National Team. While earning her doctorate, she was a volunteer assistant coach for the Caltech Women’s Basketball team. She also enjoys soccer, rock climbing, skiing and creative writing. Left and right brained.

Y'ALL NASA JUST ANNOUNCED THEIR NEWEST ASTRONAUTS. SHOUTOUT TO BLACK GIRL SHINING JESSICA WATKINS!!!! " class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />‍ pic.twitter.com/AA19DrEIHq

— wikipedia brown (@eveewing) June 11, 2017

The Baby of the Group

She told the Daily Camera: "It certainly is on the young side, and you are correct — there are three of us that are 29 and I actually think I am the youngest of the three. We chatted this week and discovered that," Watkins said.

Meet NASA's latest class of astronauts. One day they might go to Mars. pic.twitter.com/Wa5EEcUT8r

— AJ+ (@ajplus) June 12, 2017

Extremely Selective

Watkins and her fellow astronaut candidates represent 12 our of 18,300 applicants for the program. [caption id="attachment_833498" align="aligncenter" width="1068"] International Space Station and astronaut in outer space over the planet Earth. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.[/caption] Bigstock

What's Next?

So what exactly does an astronaut candidate do? Does that mean there's still a chance they won't be traveling into space? Well, yes. But according to Watkins, a very small one. "The upcoming training stint "is not something of a weeding-out type of process. It is more of a learning process, where we learn a wide range of skill sets and have diverse experiences that will prepare us for space flight in the future. I think there have been a few astronaut candidates or astronauts who haven't flown for one reason for another. But it is not common." [caption id="attachment_833500" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Bigstock[/caption] Bigstock

Mars

"I think the prospects of human footprints on Mars is bright and that's certainly the goal here at NASA and something that we have an amazing group of people and amazing team working toward. I have full confidence on that."

Meet Jessica Watkins, one of our 12 #NewAstronauts! She's a postdoctoral fellow at @Caltech. Learn more about her: https://t.co/2EX1yHdzT0 pic.twitter.com/FIdkPh2WxB

— NASA Astronauts (@NASA_Astronauts) June 7, 2017

Message to young people

"I would have to say the people," Watkins said. "I have been blessed to meet so many amazing people who have supported and encouraged and inspired me. And I stand on their shoulders as I sit here today."

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