She has worked on 10 different spacesuit designs, including new ones created for the Artemis generation of missions to get the first American woman and the next American man to the surface of the Moon by 2024.

In an interview published by NASA, Aitchison explains that her interest in STEM came from her upbringing:

“My mom is a science teacher and I’d have to say that it was definitely my mom who nudged me toward science and technology. The first time I remember thinking about space specifically was actually in kindergarten. My mom took my sister and me to visit Johnson Space Center. I remember seeing and touching all the exhibits at the museum and watching the IMAX movie on what it’s like to live in space.  From that day forward, I told everyone I wanted to be an astronaut.”

Aitchison is a hands-on technologist, who has many great NASA memories and achievements to look back on:

“At the top of my list though is definitely getting to serve as a spacesuit test subject. As a spacesuit engineer, it is extremely valuable to have firsthand experience working inside a spacesuit. It gives you a better appreciation for the job you’re asking the crew to do and also helps you to understand and process their feedback during testing.”

As a role model for other aspiring STEM professionals, Aitchison has this bit of advice:

“It has been my experience that the more varied your interests are and the more open you are to diverse opportunities, the better success you will have at being happy in your career and life in general. Diverse experience and interests are critical to nurturing creative minds and creativity is the key ingredient that will continuously push you to explore the great beyond.” •

Source: Story and photos courtesy of NASA