Three separate Space Shuttle missions define the orbital career of Stephanie Wilson, a Boston-born engineer who stands as the second African American woman to travel into space. With nearly 43 days of cumulative time in low Earth orbit, she has maintained a decades-long trajectory within the United States space program, spanning technical engineering roles and active spaceflight.
Formative Education and Early Engineering
Born in 1966, Wilson pursued a focused academic path toward aerospace engineering. She graduated from Taconic High School in 1984 before earning a Bachelor of Science in engineering science from Harvard University in 1988. Later, she completed a Master of Science in aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in 1992. Her early professional experience included two years at Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver, Colorado, where she conducted coupled loads analyses for the Titan IV rocket. Following this, she joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to work on the Galileo spacecraft, specifically focusing on the attitude and articulation control subsystem.
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Selected as an astronaut candidate in April 1996, Wilson reported to the Johnson Space Center that August. Her initial assignments included technical roles within the Astronaut Office, such as working with payload displays and serving as a prime communicator in Mission Control. She flew as a mission specialist on three separate shuttle flights: STS-121 in 2006, STS-120 in 2007, and STS-131 in 2010. During these missions, she managed robotic arm operations, vehicle inspections, and the transfer of tens of thousands of pounds of equipment to the International Space Station. Beyond her flight duties, she served as a ground controller for the first all-woman spacewalk in 2019.
Ongoing Contributions
Wilson continues to be involved in the evolution of space exploration. In December 2020, NASA identified her as a candidate for the Artemis program. She was assigned to the SpaceX Crew-9 mission in early 2024, though she was later removed from the flight manifest to accommodate the return of other crew members. She maintains an active relationship with her alma mater, having served on the Harvard Board of Overseers and acting as Chief Marshal for the university's 362nd commencement in 2013.
Fast facts
- Born: 1966, Boston
- Education: Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin
- Space Shuttle Missions: STS-121, STS-120, STS-131
- Primary Professional Fields: Aerospace engineering, astronautics
- Total Time in Space: Approximately 43 days
- Notable Role: First all-woman spacewalk ground controller
Questions readers ask
What engineering roles did Wilson hold before becoming an astronaut?
She served as a Loads and Dynamics engineer for the Titan IV rocket at Martin Marietta and as a member of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem for the Galileo spacecraft at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Was Stephanie Wilson selected for the Artemis program?
Yes, NASA announced her as a candidate for the Artemis program on December 9, 2020.
Achievements
- Educated at Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- Worked as astronaut and engineer
