Caldwell is one of 17 mission specialists chosen by NASA for its 1998 astronaut candidate class. At 28, she is the youngest member of that elite group, and one of just four females. Over the next few weeks, Caldwell will wrap up her UCI studies as the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Environmental Science. Then she's off to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for one year of intensive training prior to receiving a space flight assignment. In the following interview, Caldwell discusses NASA's arduous selection process for astronauts as well as her dreams of going into Earth orbit and beyond.
Every little kid has dreams of being an astronaut.
You look up at the stars, you hear about moon landings, and you wish you could feel what it's like to be in zero Gs. But I became very serious about that goal in high school, as I began wondering what I would do after graduation. I learned that mission specialists have broad backgrounds and diverse interests. The more I looked into it, I realized, I had a shot at this. I realize there's a high risk, but I think the benefits for myself and those around me far outweigh those risks.