An astronaut from Spokane, Washington is taking part in one of NASA’s upcoming International Space Station missions in 2018.
Anne McClain is a member of the 2013 astronaut class. On Thursday, NASA announced that McClain was selected to fly on the Expedition 58/59 crew that will launch in November.
McClain is the first female astronaut from Spokane and she now works at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2002. She then went to the University of Bath in England for a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, followed by the University of Bristol in England for a master’s degree in international relations.
McClain was also an officer in the U.S. Army in 2002 and earned her wings as a Kiowa Warrior pilot in 2005. She served 15 months in Operation Iraqi freedom, and flew more than 800 combat hours.
McClain then graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in June 2013.