SPOKANE, Wash. – An astronaut from Spokane 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.
McClain's mother, Charlotte Lamp, has been excited about her daughter's launch since she learned about the mission. Charlotte said she has gone through a lot of training to get to where she is.
"For two years the astronaut are candidates and they go through a lot of training and part of it is becoming fluent in Russian. And they learn how to take care of the space station and practice different repairs of the space station, practice space walks and things,” Lamp said.
After all the hard work her daughter has put in to get to where she is, Lamp is very proud of her.
“I honestly have to say I’m not any more proud than any other mom who has a child that is successful,” Lamp said. “Yes I’m proud, but every parent is.”
Now that the public announcement has been made, Lamp said it is getting more real and she has had her worries. Luckily, her daughter sent her a video about being launched into space it helped her feel more reassured.
McClain 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.