Jessica Wittner

Jessica Wittner
Jessica Wittner
	Wittner in December 2021
Born	Jessica Owens; March 29, 1983 (age 42); Fresno, California, U.S.
Education	University of Arizona (BS); Naval Postgraduate School (MS);
	Space career
NASA astronaut
Selection	NASA Group 23 (2021)
Military career
Branch	United States Navy
Years	2001–present
Rank	Lieutenant commander
Unit	Strike Fighter Squadron 151

Jessica Wittner (née Owens; born March 29, 1983) is a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy and NASA astronaut.^[1]

Life

Wittner is a native of California with a distinguished career serving on active duty as a naval aviator and test pilot. As a teenager she joined the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, where she attained the highest rank, Chief Petty Officer.^[2] She holds a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Wittner was commissioned as a naval officer through an enlisted-to-officer program and has served operationally flying F/A-18 fighter jets with Strike Fighter Squadron 34 based out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, and Strike Fighter Squadron 151 based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, not far from where she grew up in Central California. A graduate of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, she also worked as a test pilot and project officer with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California.

On December 6, 2021, Wittner was formally announced as a NASA astronaut candidate with NASA Astronaut Group 23.^[3]

In 2023, Wittner participated in the ESA PANGAEA training organized by the European Space Agency, held between Italy (Bletterbach canyon), Germany (Noerdlingen-Ries crater) and Spain (Lanzarote Island)^[4]^[5]^[6] together with the colleagues Thomas Pesquet and Takuya Onishi.

^ Mars, Kelli (December 3, 2021). "NASA Astronaut Candidate Jessica Wittner". NASA. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
^ "Sea Cadets: Building Sailors and Citizens". U.S. Naval Institute. November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
^ Margetta, Robert (December 6, 2021). "NASA Selects New Astronaut Recruits to Train for Future Missions". NASA. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
^ "Moon scouts". www.esa.int. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
^ "Astronauts using the Artemis lunar camera during geological exploration". www.esa.int. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
^ "Jessica Wittner using the Artemis Moon camera". www.esa.int. Retrieved May 23, 2024.

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