Nicole Aunapu Mann

Nicole Aunapu Mann
NASA Astronaut
Nationality American
Status Active
Born Nicole Victoria Aunapu
(1977-06-27) June 27, 1977
Petaluma, California, US
Rank Lieutenant colonel, USMC
Selection 2013 NASA Group 21

Nicole Victoria Aunapu Mann (born June 27, 1977) is a NASA astronaut from the class of 2013.[1]

Mann is a lieutenant colonel in the US Marine Corps. Originally from Penngrove, California, she is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, Stanford University and the US Naval Test Pilot School. Mann is an F/A 18 Hornet pilot and completed astronaut candidate training in July 2015.[2] In August 2018 Mann was assigned to the first test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner which will be her first spaceflight.[3]

Early life

Mann grew up in Penngrove, California, and attended Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, California. Her father told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that she didn't show much interest in space as a child, but decided during her junior year in high school that she would attend the US Naval Academy after graduation.[4] Her grandfather Helmuth Werner Aunapuu (1903–1957) was Estonian sailor, but emigrated to US and participated in 2nd Word War in US service. [5]

Career

Nicole Mann flew F/A-18C Hornets in combat for the US Marines

Mann graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1999 before earning a degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford University in 2001. She was awarded her Naval Aviator wings in 2002 and served two combat tours flying 47 combat missions in F/A-18s as a fighter pilot over Iraq, and Afghanistan. Mann went on to graduate from the US Naval Test Pilot School in 2009.

In 2013, she was one of eight candidates selected from more than 6,300 applicants to train as an astronaut for NASA.[4] NASA has said that Mann could be one of the first astronauts sent on a mission to an asteroid, or to Mars.[6]

In August 2018 she was assigned to Boe-CFT, the first test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner.[7]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "2013 Astronaut Class". NASA. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  2. ↑ "NASA's Newest Astronauts Complete Training". NASA. July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "NASA Assigns Crews to First Test Flights, Missions on Commercial Spacecraft". NASA. August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Kovner, Guy (June 18, 2013). "Nicole Aunapu Mann, Marine pilot, claims 1 of 8 NASA training slots". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Kas eesti juurtega astronaudist saab üks esimesi inimesi Marsil?". Eesti Ekspress. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Penngrove woman among newest astronauts". Petaluma360. June 17, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  7. ↑ "NASA's Commercial Crew Program Target Test Flight Dates". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Nicole Aunapu Mann" (PDF).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.