Christina Koch has dreamed of becoming an astronaut since she was a child—and today, she is making strides in the aerospace industry, inspiring others by achieving the dreams she once had.
She was originally from Michigan but grew up in the small city of Jacksonville, North Carolina. She attended and graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham in 1997 before earning bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics from North Carolina University in 2001, then completing her Master of Science in electrical engineering in 2002. In 2020, she spoke at North Carolina University’s virtual commencement ceremony in which she received an honorary PHD.
Early in her career, Koch made the difficult decision to leave her engineering job at NASA to pursue a dream in Antarctica. She was drawn by the science and exploration opportunities there, working as a Research Associate for the United States Antarctic Program, where she spent three years. Koch later reflected on her decision, saying that she knew if she ever returned to contribute to human spaceflight—her ultimate dream—it would be because she chose to follow her passion. During her time in Antarctica, she served as a member of firefighting teams and ocean/glacier search and rescue teams.
In June 2013, Koch was selected by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 21 and completed her training two years later in 2015. During her time at NASA, she has won numerous awards and broken several records, including holding the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and participating in the first all-woman spacewalk. She has also received the NASA Group Achievement Award and many other accolades.
Now, Koch has her sights set on the moon. She is preparing for the Artemis II mission in 2025, where she could become the first woman in history to fly to the moon—an extraordinary milestone. She will be part of a four-person crew alongside Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen, traveling in a capsule around the moon. The team is currently undergoing an intensive training period to prepare for this groundbreaking mission.
Works Cited
Sullivan, J., & Tiberii, J. (2024, May 8). Christina Koch is headed to the moon, exactly like she dreamed she would. WUNC. https://www.wunc.org/news/2024-05-08/christina-koch-astronaut-nc-state-nasa-moon-space
Christina Koch – NASA. (n.d.). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/people/christina-koch/
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, March 20). Christina Koch. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Koch
Zinn, J. (2023, June 8). Christina Hammock Koch shoots for the moon. Houston Public Media. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2023/06/08/453943/christina-hammock-koch-shoots-for-the-moon/
Christina Koch – NASA. (n.d.-b). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/people/christina-koch/
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. (2024, April 9). Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch ’97 followed her own path to space. https://www.ncssm.edu/news/astronaut-christina-hammock-koch-97-followed-her-own-path-to-space
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Hi! My name is Haylee and I’m a high school student in New Zealand. I’m passionate about science and health care, specifically in the field of dentistry as I not only love the medical side of it, but also the artistic and technical side.
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