HOUSTON — NASA astronaut Dr. Shannon Walker is making her hometown proud.
On Thursday, she became the first native Houstonian to take command of the International Space Station for the first time in its 20-plus-year history, according to NASA.
A commander plays a similar role to the captain of a ship — responsible for the vehicle, the crew, mission success and safety, according to the Kennedy Space Center.
Walker took command because Russian commander Sergey Ryzhikov is leaving the ISS on April 16, NASA says.
Walker is a member of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission that flew to the space station on the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft in November, the first commercial human spacecraft system.
She and her fellow Crew-1 astronauts joined Expedition 64 and are nearing completion of a six-month science mission that included science and research investigations.
“Having the Johnson Space Center here in my backyard growing up, I was always aware of what NASA was doing in the space program,” Walker said. “I’m so proud to represent my hometown on the International Space Station where we conduct scientific research that can benefit all of humankind.”
Walker started the mission as a Flight Engineer, but all that changed Thursday when she took on the role of commander.
Westbury High School students watched the historic event live.
“We are proud to know that Dr. Walker’s HISD education inspired her to become involved in the space program and then become an astronaut,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “On Thursday, we will celebrate her promotion to Commander of the International Space Station. It is an honor that has been years in the making and is well deserved.”
Who is Shannon Walker?
Walker was born on June 4, 1965, in Houston. She is married to astronaut Andy Thomas.
Walker graduated from Westbury Senior High and received her bachelor's and master's degree at Rice University.
She began her professional career at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 1987 as a Robotics Flight Controller for the Space Shuttle Program. She then went on to serve as a Flight Engineer for Expedition 24/25, a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station that lasted 163 days.
In 1999, Dr. Walker moved to Moscow to work with the Russian Space Agency and its contractors in the areas of avionics integration for the Station as well as setting up a program of integrated problem solving amongst the International Partners.
She returned to Houston after a year in Russia and became the technical lead for the station MER as well as the Deputy Manager of the On Orbit Engineering Office.
In 2004, Walker was selected by NASA to be an astronaut.
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