Nichole AyersHe is a 32-year old major in the U.S. Air Force.
She later earned a master’s degree in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University. Ayers has more than 200 combat hours, and over 1,150 hours total flying time in both the T-38 Raptor and F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft. Ayers is the only woman currently piloting the F-22. In 2019, she led an all-female formation that flew the F-22 in combat.
Marcos BerríosMajor in the U.S. Air Force (37), Berrios was born in Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. While a reservist in the Air National Guard, Berríos worked as an aerospace engineer for the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate at Moffett Federal Airfield in California.
A test pilot, Berrios holds both a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in mechanical and master’s degrees in engineering. He also has a doctorate of aeronautics/astronautics from Stanford University. A distinguished pilot, Berríos has accumulated more than 110 combat missions and 1,300 hours of flight time in more than 21 different aircraft.
Christina BirchShe was 35 years old when she grew up near Gilbert, Arizona. Following her doctorate in biological engineer from MIT she was able to teach bioengineering and scientific writing at the California Institute of Technology. On the U.S. National Team, she became an accomplished track cyclist.
Deniz BurnhamLieutenant in the U.S. Navy 36 years old, makes Wasilla her home. Burnham is a former NASA intern in Silicon Valley. She currently serves in U.S. Navy reserves. A bachelor’s degree was in chemical engineering at the University of California San Diego. She also earned a master’s in mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California Los Angeles. Burnham has extensive experience in leading the energy sector, having managed onsite drilling projects across North America including Texas, Canada and Alaska.
Luke DelaneyRetired U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel, Jim, was born in Debary, Florida. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida in mechanical engineering and holds a master’s in aerospace engineering at Naval Postgraduate School. A distinguished naval pilot, he participated in various exercises in the Asia Pacific and was a part of combat missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.
His experience as a testpilot included numerous flight evaluations of weapon systems integration. He also served as an instructor for test pilots. Delaney was most recently a NASA Langley Research Center research pilot, supporting airborne science missions. Delaney has flown more than 3,700 hours, on 48 different models of propeller- and jet-powered aircraft.
Andre DouglasHe is 35 years old and a native of Virginia. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from U.S. Coast Guard Academy. A master’s Degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from University of Michigan. Johns Hopkins University. And a Master’s Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from George Washington University.
Douglas was a U.S. Coast Guard officer, a salvage engineer, an assistant to the damage control team, and he also served as a naval architect. Most recently, he was a senior member of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. He worked on space exploration and maritime robotics for NASA.
Jack HathawayThe U.S. Navy commander, 39-year-old, is from Connecticut. The U.S. awarded him bachelors in history and Physics. Naval Academy, and went on to Cranfield University in England. Naval War College. Hathaway, a highly skilled naval aviator was able to fly and deploy with Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 14 at the USS Nimitz as well as Strike Fighter Squadron 136 at the USS Truman.
His training at Empire Test Pilots’ school was a success. He also supported the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon and was recently appointed as Strike Fighter Squadron 81’s prospective executive officer. More than 2500 hours of flight time in over 30 aircraft types, 500 landings on carriers, and 39 combat missions.
Anil MenonLieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force. He was 45 years old. SpaceX’s initial flight surgeon, he helped to send the first astronauts to orbit during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 missions. In addition to building an organization for medical support to the human system on future missions, he also built the first SpaceX medical center. He was previously NASA’s crew flight surgeon on various missions that took astronauts to orbit the International Space Station.
Menon is a fully practicing emergency medicine doctor with training in both wilderness and aviation medicine. Menon was also a medical first responder in the Haitian earthquake, the 2015 earthquake in Nepal and the Reno Air Show crash in 2011. Menon was a Flight Surgeon in the Air Force and supported the 45th Space Wing and 173rd Fighter Wing. He flew over 100 sorties with the F-15 fighter jet, and transported more than 100 patients.
Christopher WilliamsHe was 38 years old when he grew-up in Potomac (Maryland). He received a bachelor’s in physics degree from Stanford University and a doctorate from MIT, in 2012 where he was involved in astrophysics research. Williams is a certified medical physicist. He completed his residency training at Harvard Medical School, before joining the faculty in clinical physics and research.
His most recent position was as a medical physician in the Radiation Oncology Department of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His role as the Institute’s MRI-guided, adaptive radiation treatment program physicist was his most important. His research focus was on image guidance for cancer treatments.
Jessica Wittner, 38, lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, is a native of California with a distinguished career serving on active duty as a naval aviator and test pilot. A Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering is held by her at the University of Arizona. She also holds a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering in the United States. Naval Postgraduate School.
Wittner, a Naval Officer through the Enlisted-to-Officer Program, was commissioned and served operationally in F/A-18 fighter planes with Strike Fighter Squadron 34, Virginia Beach, Virginia and Strike Fighter Squadron 151, Lemoore. U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. She also worked as an instructor at the School.