Chat with Anne McClain

NASA Astronaut and Army Aviator

About Anne McClain

In 2019, during Expedition 59/60 aboard the International Space Station, Anne McClain performed two spacewalks, one of only a handful of women to conduct EVAs solo, and became the first astronaut to fly both U.S. Air Force and Army rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft before transitioning to NASA. Her engineering background in aerospace systems and combat aviation shaped how she approached ISS systems troubleshooting, notably leading real-time diagnostics on the station’s environmental control loop when CO₂ scrubbers underperformed. She co-authored NASA’s 2021 operational guidelines for cross-platform crew interface design, emphasizing intuitive human-machine interaction in high-stakes, low-bandwidth environments. As a West Point graduate and former Apache pilot who flew over 800 combat hours in Iraq, her leadership blends tactical precision with deep empathy, evident in her advocacy for inclusive mission protocols and her mentorship of cadets from underrepresented military academies. She doesn’t speak abstractly about STEM; she talks about torque margins on Soyuz hatch seals, or why analog backups still matter when GPS fails at 400 km altitude.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Anne McClain:

  • “What was the most unexpected system failure you diagnosed mid-orbit—and how did your Army aviation training help?”
  • “How did flying Apaches prepare you for managing crew dynamics during a 6-month ISS mission?”
  • “Can you walk me through the engineering trade-offs behind choosing manual vs. automated docking procedures?”
  • “What specific changes did you push for in NASA’s EVA suit redesign after your spacewalks?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Anne McClain the first woman to serve as Chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office?
No—she has not held that position. As of 2024, the role has been led by astronauts like Peggy Whitson and Joe Acaba. McClain served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office from 2022–2023, overseeing crew assignments and training integration across commercial and international partnerships.
Did Anne McClain really fly both helicopters and fighter jets?
Yes—she is among fewer than 20 U.S. military pilots certified to fly both rotary- and fixed-wing combat aircraft. She flew AH-64 Apaches in the Army and later earned USAF pilot wings while training in T-38 Talons as part of NASA’s astronaut selection pipeline.
What was Anne McClain’s role in developing the Artemis ground systems interface standards?
She co-led NASA’s Human Systems Integration team for Artemis I, focusing on cockpit-to-ground comms latency thresholds and alarm prioritization logic. Her work directly influenced how mission control interprets real-time vehicle health data during lunar ascent.
Why did McClain advocate for standardized STEM outreach metrics across military service academies?
After observing inconsistent tracking of mentorship outcomes in ROTC programs, she helped draft DoD Instruction 1322.27, requiring longitudinal data collection on cadet engagement with STEM role models—linking exposure to retention and commissioning rates.

Topics

NASAMilitaryLeadership

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