Richland Graduate Kayla Barron Joins NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 Mission
How exciting to read about one of Richland's own joining NASA's Space X Crew-3 Mission to the International Space Station! The voyage could launch as early as October 23rd.
According to a news release from NASA:
This will be the first spaceflight for Barron, who became a NASA astronaut in January 2020 after completing two years of training. She will join NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn, as the mission’s commander and pilot, respectively, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, who also will serve as a mission specialist.
This will be the third crew rotation mission on SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its fourth flight with astronauts, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Kayla was born in Idaho, however, grew up in Richland, and graduated from Richland High School.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2010. She earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge, in England, in 2011, as Gates Cambridge Scholar. Lt. Cmdr. Barron earned her submarine warfare officer qualification and deployed three times while serving aboard the USS Maine. At the time of her selection as an astronaut candidate in 2017, she was serving as the flag aide to the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.
You can follow Kayla Barron on social media at:
Kayla Barron:
Instagram: @Astro_Kayla
Facebook: NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron
You can read more about Kayla Barron here.