Anne McClain Shooting for Mars

June 5, 2016

When I got that phone call, it was completely overwhelming, Anne McClain recalled… It’s very humbling. McClain was selected in 2013 from 6,100 other highly qualified candidates to join NASA’s astronaut corps. McClain and other seven members of the 2013 Astronaut Candidate Class could be among the first astronauts to go to Mars.

McClain, now a Major in the U.S. Army, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY in 2002 before heading to the United Kingdom where she earned master’s degrees in international security and aerospace engineering from the University of Bath and University of Bristol, respectively.

Nicknamed the Animal by her teammates, McClain twice earned a spot on the national USA Rugby Women’s Eagles team in 2003. She remained active as a player and coach in the teams elite-level programs for some time.

McClain is a helicopter pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours in 11 different types of aircraft. She flew 216 combat missions, accumulating more than 800 combat hours, during her 15 months supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. After returning to the states McClain served as an Instructor Pilot and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School—she is only the third female solider to do so in the last twenty years.

Her badges include the Combat Action Badge, Army Senior Aviator Badge, and Air Assault Badge. Her awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with Valor, Air Medal (x2), Army Commendation Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal with 2 campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Achievement Medal (x3), Overseas Service Ribbon (x3) and the National Defense Service Medal.

MAJ Anne McClain’s NASA BIO
VIDEO – Astronaut Candidate at a Glance: Anne McClain
VIDEO – 2013 NASA Astronaut Candidate Anne McClain
VIDEO – In Their Own Words: Ann McClain