(COLORADO) — Former U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) and Woodland Park High School graduate from Divide, U.S. Air Force Major Nichole Ayers is headed to space next week after she was selected as one of 10 astronaut candidates from a pool of more than 12,000 applicants by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in December of 2021.
This photo provided by NASA shows its 2021 astronaut candidate class, announced on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. The 10 candidates stand for a photo at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Dec. 3, 2021. From left are U.S. Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers, Christopher Williams, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. (retired.) Luke Delaney, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jessica Wittner, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anil Menon, U.S. Air Force Maj. Marcos Berríos, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jack Hathaway, Christina Birch, U.S. Navy Lt. Deniz Burnham, and Andre Douglas. (Robert Markowitz/NASA via AP)
Now just over three years later, Ayers’ dream of going to space is coming true.
“Next week, on [Wednesday, March 12] Nichole and three other astronauts will launch to the International Space Station on the SpaceX Crew-10 mission,” a post read on the City of Woodland Park Government’s Facebook page. “Let’s give Nichole our best wishes for a safe and successful mission from Woodland Park! Congratulations, Nichole!”
Ayers’ selection to the 2021 astronaut class was officially announced by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Dec. 6, 2021. Ayers and nine others began two years of training in January of 2022, which, according to NASA, included “operating and maintaining the International Space Station’s complex systems, training for spacewalks, developing complex robotics skills, safely operating a T-38 training jet, and Russian language skills.”
According to NASA, Ayers graduated from USAFA in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in Russian; during her time at the Academy, she also played Division I college volleyball. Ayers then went on to obtain a master’s degree in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University in Houston; while pursuing her master’s, Ayers also competed internationally on the USA Armed Forces Team.
When Ayers was selected by NASA in 2021, at the time she was serving as the assistant director of operations in the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.
“As an instructor in both the T-38A and F-22 Raptor, Ayers has flown missions all over the nation and the world,” according to NASA. “She is currently training for her first spaceflight where she will serve as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission.”
Ayers will be joined by fellow NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov on March 12 as they gear up to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10.
The launch is expected to take place next Wednesday around 6 p.m. local time.
