Kayla Barron

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Kayla Barron
SpaceX Crew-3 Mission Specialist Kayla Barron.jpg
Born
Kayla Jane Sax

(1987-09-19) September 19, 1987 (age 34)
Pocatello, Idaho, U.S.
StatusActive
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy (BS)
Peterhouse, Cambridge (MPhil)
Space career
NASA Astronaut
Current occupation
Engineer
RankLieutenant commander, USN
Time in space
Currently in space
SelectionNASA Group 22
Total EVAs
2
Total EVA time
13 hours and 26 minutes
MissionsSpaceX Crew-3 (Expedition 66/67)
Mission insignia
SpaceX Crew-3 logo.svg ISS Expedition 66 Patch.svg ISS Expedition 67 Patch.png

Kayla Jane Barron (born September 19, 1987) is an American submarine warfare officer, engineer and NASA astronaut.

Early life and education[]

Kayla Barron was born on September 19, 1987 in Pocatello, Idaho to Lauri and Scott Sax. Her family moved to Richland, Washington, where she graduated from Richland High School in 2006. After high school, Barron attended the United States Naval Academy, where she graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in systems engineering.[1][2]

While at the Naval Academy, Barron was a member of the Midshipmen cross country and track teams.[3] Following her graduation, Barron attended Peterhouse, Cambridge on a Gates Cambridge Scholarship[4] where she earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering.[1] Motivated by a desire to address anthropogenic climate change, her graduate research focused on modeling the fuel cycle for a next-generation, thorium-fueled nuclear reactor concept known as an accelerator-driven subcritical reactor.[1][4][5]

Military career[]

After obtaining a master's degree, Barron was part of the first group of women to become submarine warfare officers. She attended the Navy's nuclear power and submarine officer training program, and was assigned to the Ohio-class submarine USS Maine. While serving on the USS Maine, Barron completed three patrols as a division officer. Following her submarine assignment, Barron was Flag Aide to the Superintendent at the Naval Academy until her selection as an astronaut.[1]

NASA career[]

In June 2017, Barron was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22, and began her two-year training.[1] She was the fifth female Naval Academy graduate selected as an astronaut candidate.[6]

She trained for the SpaceX Crew-3 mission, during which she will work aboard the International Space Station as a mission specialist. She launched on board the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endurance on November 10, 2021 and is currently in space as part of the Expedition 66 long duration mission.[7]

Personal life[]

Barron is married to Tom Barron, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer.[8]

Amateur radio[]

Barron received a Technician Class amateur radio license from the FCC on 2/22/2021 call sign: KI5LAL [9]

Honors[]

Barron was a Trident Scholar and Distinguished Graduate at the Naval Academy, and a Gates Cambridge Scholar at Cambridge.[1]

Awards[]

Warfare insignia[]

Submarine Officer badge.jpg Submarine Warfare Insignia (Dolphins) [10]
Silver Navy Submarine Patrol Insignia.jpg SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia

Decorations and medals[]

Navy Commendation Medal
Navy Achievement Medal
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 1st award.svg Navy "E" Ribbon
NDSM Ribbon.svg National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Medal
U.S. Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon.svg Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon
United States Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with sharpshooter device.svg Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with Sharpshooter Device

NASA Astronaut Pin[]

NASA - Astropin.png Nasa Astronaut Pin (Gold)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Candidate Kayla Barron". NASA. Retrieved September 10, 2018. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Kayla Sax Barron". SpaceFacts. April 18, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  3. ^ "Former Navy track athlete Kayla Barron selected to 2017 NASA astronaut candidate class". The Patriot League. June 8, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Profile". Gates Cambridge. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Sax, Kayla (April 12, 2011). "Investigating the Scope for the Reduction of ADSR Accelerator Requirements Through Fuel Cycle Choice". Universities Nuclear Technology Forum University of Huddersfield.
  6. ^ "Notable Graduates, Astronauts". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved May 20, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ "Kayla Barron Joins NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 Mission to Space Station". NASA. May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ Marbella, Jean (June 9, 2017). "Naval Academy grad, aide one of 12 new astronaut candidates". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  9. ^ FCC ULS https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=4334421. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ Qualification badge * Submarine Qualification Insignia, a.k.a. "Dolphins"
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