Astronaut Koch lands at A&T

By Ivan Saul Cutler, Carolina Peacemaker / April 26, 2024

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch landed at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to advocate on the importance of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) education to improve quality of life and attract business investment for high-paying job creation in the state.

The North Carolina native joined Gov. Roy Cooper and Chancellor Harold Martin Sr. in a special presentation to a group of the university’s honors engineering and science students, faculty and members of the A&T Rocketry Team, which recently participated in the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Rocket Fair in Huntsville, Alabama. The governor said he arranged the presentation to highlight the state’s strong STEM public education programs and discuss how public education has supported STEM careers. STEM education is a key funding component of Cooper’s proposed state budget, introduced this week.

“When I can say that North Carolina A&T [State] University graduates more Black engineers than any other university in the country every year, people’s eyes light up,” Cooper said. “Businesses say (they) want a well-trained, dedicated, and diverse workforce, and this is a place for us to come.” He praised the university as a key element in attracting STEM-related business investment in the Piedmont Triad region and the nation, specifically mentioning the huge investment of Toyota Battery and Boom Supersonic, as significant job creators.

For at least a day, the campus was dubbed N.C. Astronaut and Technical State University, prompting a smile on Martin’s face. To the rapt attention of more than three dozen students and faculty, Koch discussed her lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut, sharing personal insights and visual highlights of her historic 2019-2020 mission aboard the International Space Station, establishing a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, lasting 328 days. During her time on the ISS, she conducted numerous scientific experiments and contributed to various space station maintenance tasks.

“My time in North Carolina sparked my passion for exploration and helped me set my own journey to becoming an astronaut,” said Koch. “A strong educational and extracurricular foundation is key to ensuring we have the right set of skills to accomplish big things in space and on Earth in the future.” Reared in Jacksonville, she attended N.C. School of Science and Math in Durham and White Oak High School in Jacksonville, then onto N.C. State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and physics and a Master of Science in electrical engineering, as well as an honorary doctorate.

In training for the planned September 2025 Artimis II crewed U.S. mission that will orbit the Moon to test equipment for a future landing, Koch presented photos of her mission, including an unexpected view of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, which she said she gleefully photographed from the space station’s dome-shaped cupola module with seven windows dubbed “windows to the world,” which provide a panoramic view of Earth and space. She specifically credited A&T graduates who have been and are involved in critical aspects of the NASA space program, giving special attention to the late astronaut and A&T Physics alumnus, Dr. Ronald McNair, who perished aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger moments after its Jan. 28, 1986 launch.

After her presentation in the Chevron conference room on the A&T campus, Koch, A&T Chancellor Dr. Harold Martin, and Gov. Cooper ventured upstairs to the drone lab, where they observed the A&T Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Drone Team in action. The team recently participated in the Vertical Flight Society 2024 Competition in Maryland. A&T was one of the four university teams to successfully fly its aircraft among the 11 teams that participated in the competition.
A&T’s College of Engineering is the No. 1 producer of African American engineering graduates in the United States.

The university recently made history when students Kristi Barnes, Maya Odom and Breyana Robinson were selected as 2023 Astronaut Scholars. This marked the first time a historically Black college or university (HBCU) has had three recipients of the elite scholarship in the same year. The scholarship is awarded annually to the nation’s most academically accomplished students pursuing STEM degrees.

Astronaut Scholars in STEM education are students who have been awarded scholarships by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). The ASF is a non-profit organization that was established by the Mercury 7 astronauts in 1984. The foundation’s goal is to support the education of exceptional college students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The Astronaut Scholarship is highly prestigious and competitive. Recipients are chosen based on their academic achievements, leadership potential, and dedication to STEM research. These scholars receive financial support to help them pursue their education and research goals. In addition to the financial assistance, Astronaut Scholars often have access to networking opportunities, mentorship from astronauts and industry professionals, and other enrichment programs aimed at fostering their development as future leaders in STEM fields.