{"id":129832,"date":"2021-12-03T21:07:26","date_gmt":"2021-12-04T02:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-475768"},"modified":"2024-03-05T09:40:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T14:40:12","slug":"nasa-astronaut-jessica-wittner","status":"publish","type":"people","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/nasa-astronaut-jessica-wittner\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Astronaut Jessica Wittner"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-bio-intro maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-bio-intro\">\n\t<div class=\"hds-bio-intro-container grid-row grid-container grid-container-block padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col-3\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-bio-thumbnail width-10 tablet:width-card desktop:width-card-lg\">\n\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large\" alt=\"Astronaut Candidate Jessica Wittner\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 40% 5%; object-position: 40% 5%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg 5798w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=768,960 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=819,1024 819w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=1229,1536 1229w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=1638,2048 1638w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=320,400 320w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=480,600 480w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=720,900 720w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=960,1200 960w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?resize=1600,2000 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-7 desktop:grid-col-9 grid-row margin-0 padding-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1 desktop:margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"display-60 display-block width-full\">NASA Astronaut Jessica Wittner<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-lg padding-0 margin-0 color-carbon-60\">NASA Astronaut<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica A. Wittner, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jessica Wittner was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. She reports for duty in January 2022. She previously had a distinguished career serving on active duty as a U.S. naval aviator and test pilot. A California native, she holds a bachelor\u2019s in aerospace engineering from the University of Arizona, Tucson, and a master\u2019s in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. Wittner was commissioned as a naval officer through an enlisted-to-officer commissioning program, and has served operationally flying F\/A-18s with VFA-34 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and VFA-151 in Lemoore, California. A graduate of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, she also worked as a test pilot and project officer with VX-31 in China Lake, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Personal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Wittner was born in Fresno, California and considers Clovis, California, to be her hometown. Her mother and father still reside in Clovis. Her husband, Timothy Wittner, is from Camas, Washington. She enjoys outdoor activities, riding motorcycles, learning new skills, and exploring hard-to-reach places on long overlanding trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduated Buchanan High School in Clovis, California, in 2001. U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist Mate A-School, Pensacola, Florida, 2002. Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, University of Arizona, 2009. U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (Class 150), Patuxent River, Maryland, 2016. Master of Science in Engineering Science (Aerospace Engineering), U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, 2018. Naval Command and Staff Graduate, U.S. Naval War College, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Wittner enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2001 as an aviation machinist mate where she worked as an aircraft mechanic prior to acceptance in the Navy\u2019s Seaman-to-Admiral-21 Commissioning Program in 2006. She earned her commission after graduating from the University of Arizona in 2009. She attended U.S. Navy flight training in Pensacola, Florida, and earned her wings of gold in Meridian, Mississippi, in 2011. After completing the F\/A-18C flight syllabus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, she was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-34, the Blue Blasters, where she completed multiple mission-based training cycles and an international Rim-of-the-Pacific exercise onboard the USS Ronald Regan. She was later selected to attend U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, as part of Class 150. Upon graduation, she was a test pilot and project officer with Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-31, the Dust Devils, in China Lake, California. She led multiple engineering teams in the development and flight test of mission-critical capabilities for the F\/A-18E-F Super Hornet. Wittner was later reassigned to the Staff of Carrier Air Wing NINE (CVW-9) in Lemoore, California, as the assistant operations officer and test liaison. Off-duty, she completed the Command and Staff Course with the U.S. Naval War College. At the time of her selection, Wittner was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-151, the Vigilantes, as a department head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NASA Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Wittner was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in December 2021 and reported for duty in January 2022 to complete two years of initial astronaut training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Awards\/Honors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Military Excellence Award (U.S. Navy Boot Camp Honor Grad), 2001; U.S. Navy Aviation Machinist Mate School Honor Grad, 2002; Junior Sailor of the Year, VFA-106, 2003; Magna cum laude, University of Arizona, 2009; VX-31 Test Pilot of the Year, 2018; Naval Test Wing Pacific Test Pilot of the Year, 2018; F\/A-18 & EA-18G Program Manager\u2019s Wingman Award (PMA-265), 2019; Team Warfighter Support Award, Naval Air Weapons Center China Lake, 2019. Military decorations include three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organizations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tailhook Association Member. National Outdoor Leadership School Alumni.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jessica A. Wittner, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy Summary Jessica Wittner was selected by NASA to join the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. She reports for duty in January 2022. She previously had a distinguished career serving on active duty as a U.S. naval aviator and test pilot. A California native, she holds a bachelor\u2019s in aerospace […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":130839,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_people_facebook_url":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_twitter_url":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_instagram_url":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_linkedin_url":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_people_title":"NASA Astronaut"},"categories":[2800,10946],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[4944,10472,3879],"coauthors":[10423],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"WebPage","headline":"NASA Astronaut Jessica Wittner","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/nasa-astronaut-jessica-wittner\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/nasa-astronaut-jessica-wittner\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg"},"articleSection":"Humans in Space","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rachael Whitefield"}],"creator":["Rachael Whitefield"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Humans in Space","Astronauts","Jessica Wittner"],"dateCreated":"2021-12-04T02:07:26Z","datePublished":"2021-12-04T02:07:26Z","dateModified":"2024-03-05T14:40:12Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Astronaut Jessica Wittner\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people\/nasa-astronaut-jessica-wittner\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"index\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-12-04T02:07:26Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Humans in Space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Humans in Space,Astronauts,Jessica Wittner\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Rachael Whitefield\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"featured_image":{"id":130839,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner.jpg","title":"astronaut_candidate_jessica_wittner","alt":"Astronaut Candidate Jessica Wittner","caption":"Astronaut Candidate Individual Portrait, Jessica Wittner - ASCAN Class of 2021.  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