Barbara Morgan hizo historia como la primera astronauta educadora de la NASA, uniendo su pasión por la enseñanza con la exploración espacial tras pasar de una carrera en la educación a especialista de misión en la misión STS-118.

Barbara Morgan comenzó su carrera docente en 1974 en la reserva india de Flathead, en Montana, y más tarde enseñó en Idaho y Ecuador. Seleccionada como candidata de reserva para el Programa de Profesores en el Espacio de la NASA en 1985, se formó con Christa McAuliffe y la tripulación del Challenger. Tras el accidente del Challenger, Morgan se convirtió en Teacher in Space Designee, trabajando con la NASA y organizaciones educativas de todo el país.

En 1998, Morgan fue seleccionada como primera astronauta educadora de la NASA, completando dos años de formación y desempeñando diversas funciones técnicas, entre ellas CAPCOM y la Subdivisión de Robótica. Pasó más de 305 horas en el espacio como especialista de misión en STS-118, una misión de ensamblaje a la Estación Espacial Internacional en 2007. Durante esta misión, manejó los brazos robóticos del transbordador y de la estación y actuó como jefa de carga y tripulante de la cabina de vuelo.

Tras jubilarse de la NASA en 2008, Morgan se convirtió en Educadora Distinguida Residente de la Universidad Estatal de Boise, con cargos en las facultades de Ingeniería y Educación. Sigue haciendo apariciones públicas, compartiendo sus experiencias e inspirando a las generaciones futuras.

A veteran of two space missions, including a record-breaking 18-day saturation dive, Nicole Stott now channels her space exploration expertise into art while actively supporting the advancement of STEAM/STEM education for the next generation.

Stott began her career as a structural design engineer before joining NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. There, she held various roles, including Shuttle Flow Director for Endeavour and NASA Convoy Commander for shuttle landings. She then moved to California to lead the International Space Station (ISS) truss project at Boeing and later, joined Johnson Space Center as a Flight Simulation Engineer, training astronaut pilots.

Selected for the Astronaut Corps in 2000, Stott trained as a mission specialist and supported ISS operations. In 2006, she participated in the NEEMO 9 mission, setting a women’s world record for saturation diving.

Stott’s first space flight was as a Flight Engineer on ISS Expeditions 20 and 21 in 2009. She spent 91 days in space, performed a 6-hour, 39-minute spacewalk, and participated in the first track and capture of the Japanese cargo vehicle HTV. Her second flight was on STS-133 in 2011, the final mission for space shuttle Discovery. During this mission, she helped deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module and the fourth Express Logistics Carrier, completing the U.S. portion of the ISS.

After retiring from NASA, Nicole became a full-time artist, inspired by her spaceflights. She now uses her art to share the beauty of space and supports STEAM/STEM education.

Captain Wendy Lawrence played pivotal roles in missions involving ultraviolet observations, Shuttle-Mir dockings, and the Shuttle Return to Flight, significantly advancing space exploration and international collaboration.

Selected by NASA in 1992, Captain Wendy Lawrence served in various technical roles while at NASA, including flight software verification, Assistant Training Officer, and NASA’s representative at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.

A veteran of four space flights, Cpt. Lawrence logged over 1,225 hours in space. Her space missions included: STS-67, STS-86, STS-91, and STS-114. During STS-67, the crew provided round-the-clock ultraviolet observations with the ASTRO observatory. STS-86 included a rendezvous with the Russian Space Station Mir, transferring 10,400 pounds of supplies. STS-91 marked the final Shuttle-Mir docking mission, concluding the U.S./Russian Phase I Program. STS-114 was the space shuttle’s first Return to Flight mission after the Columbia disaster.

Cpt. Lawrence’s last mission, she helped test new inspection and repair procedures and transferred over 11,000 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station. Cpt. Lawrence retired from NASA in 2006, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions to space exploration, space shuttle missions, and U.S.-Russian space cooperation.

Winston Scott, a retired NASA astronaut with two shuttle flights and over 24 days in space, has held several influential roles in academia, space policy, and aerospace leadership, shaping the future of space exploration and education.

Before joining NASA, Winston Scott was a research, test, and evaluation project pilot and an associate instructor of electrical engineering. Selected by NASA in 1992, he served as a mission specialist on STS-72 and STS-87, logging over 24 days in space and completing three spacewalks totaling 19 hours and 26 minutes. On STS-72, he retrieved the Space Flyer Unit satellite and conducted spacewalks to evaluate techniques for assembling the International Space Station. During STS-87, he performed two spacewalks, including the manual capture of the Spartan satellite and testing EVA tools for future missions.

After retiring from NASA and the U.S. Navy in 1999, Scott became Vice President for Student Affairs at Florida State University and associate dean at the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering. He later advised Florida’s leaders on space matters as Executive Director of the Florida Space Authority and held leadership roles at Jacobs Engineering and the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Scott retired in 2021 as Professor Emeritus at FIT but remains active on several boards and in public speaking. His work continues to shape the fields of aerospace, education, and space policy, and he remains a prominent voice in space advocacy.