UAF faculty member shortlisted for astronaut program

September 6, 2016

Photo by Christina H. Koch. Jessica Cherry visits with the suits at Johnson Space Center in Houston during her 2012 interview with NASA's astronaut program.

NASA has chosen Jessica Cherry as one of its top 100 astronaut candidates in the agency's most recent recruitment.

Cherry, a UAF research associate professor, was picked from more than 18,300 people who applied.

Cherry will fly to Johnson Space Center in Houston for a four-day interview later this month. Cherry’s scientific expertise is water and climate; she has a dual appointment with the International Arctic Research Center and the Institute of Northern Engineering, and serves as the chief scientist of the Geographic Information Network of Alaska.

Cherry credits many of her experiences at UAF for preparing her for NASA’s astronaut program, including international collaboration, research on remote sensing and fieldwork in extreme conditions. She is also a commercial pilot who owns two small planes modified for science research. Cherry’s love for aviation led her to develop an airborne research program during her more than 10 years in Alaska.

Following the interview, NASA will narrow the remaining pool of applicants and then select between eight and 14 individuals to prepare for and participate in space missions. Cherry was also interviewed as a top-100 candidate in 2012.

"Regardless of whether I am ultimately chosen for this program, I hope to bring attention to the world-class research going on at UAF," she said. "And Alaskan women and men are very well suited to working in the confined quarters of a cold, dark place!"

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Jessica Cherry, 907-474-5730, jessica.cherry@alaska.edu.