Zena Cardman

Cardman was born on October 26, 1987. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in biology, minored in chemistry and marine sciences, and wrote an honors thesis in creative writing.

Cardman's research took her to remote field sites from the Arctic to the Antarctic and included multiple offshore expeditions on board research ships. While at the University of North Carolina, Cardman studied biogeochemistry in hydrocarbon seeps and hydrothermal vents. During that time, she also worked with the Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research Network in Antarctica.{{Cite web|url=https://pal.lternet.edu/|title=Welcome to Palmer LTER {{!}} Palmer LTER|website=pal.lternet.edu|language=en|access-date=December 4, 2018}} She completed a Master of Science degree with the research group of Dr. Andreas Teske.{{Cite news|url=https://www.unc.edu/discover/cardman-astronaut/|title=Tar Heel selected for NASA's new astronaut class - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|work=The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|access-date=December 4, 2018|language=en-US}}

During her early career, Cardman supported NASA research in British Columbia, Idaho, and Hawaii, developing operational architectures for planetary EVA.{{Cite web |last=Tonnessen |first=Heather |date=2020-06-04 |title=Zena Cardman NASA Astronaut |url=http://www.nasa.gov/content/zena-cardman-nasa-astronaut |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=NASA}} She has sailed as an assistant engineer with the Sea Education Association, working in the engine room of a brigantine. At the time of her selection in June 2017, Cardman was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and Doctoral Candidate in Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, studying geobiology and novel redox couples in Earth's subsurface.{{cite web|last=Carrol|first=Matt|date=June 7, 2017|title=Penn State graduate student selected for NASA astronaut program|url=http://news.psu.edu/story/470987/2017/06/07/impact/penn-state-graduate-student-selected-nasa-astronaut-program|access-date=December 13, 2017}}{{cite web|date=April 18, 2018|title=Zena Maria Cardman|url=http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/cardman_zena.htm|access-date=September 11, 2018|work=Biographies of U.S. Astronauts|publisher=Spacefacts}}

File:2024 NASA Pictures Of The Year Winners (jsc2024e022259 alt).jpg space suit in 2024 ]]

Prior to her astronaut candidacy, Cardman worked in science and operations for the NASA Pavilion Lake Research Project (2008–2015) and BASALT (2016–2017). In June 2017, she was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22 and began her two-year training at Johnson Space Center in Houston.{{Cite news |last=Tonnessen |first=Heather |date=February 7, 2018 |title=Astronaut Candidate Zena Cardman |language=en |work=NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/content/astronaut-zena-cardman |access-date=June 2, 2020}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-new-astronauts/|title=NASA introduces 12 new astronauts|last=Harwood|first=William|date=June 7, 2017|work=CBS News|publisher=CBS Broadcasting|access-date=June 8, 2017}}

On January 31, 2024, NASA announced that Cardman would fly as commander of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.{{Cite web |title=NASA Shares Assignments for its SpaceX Crew-9 Space Station Mission - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-shares-assignments-for-its-spacex-crew-9-space-station-mission/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |language=en-US}} However, when NASA decided to return the Boeing Starliner capsule on the Boeing Crew Flight Test uncrewed, Cardman was removed from Crew-9, along with mission specialist and fellow astronaut Stephanie Wilson, to make room on the return journey for the Starliner astronauts, Barry E. Wilmore and Sunita Williams.{{Cite web |title=NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Changes Ahead of September Launch - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-spacex-crew-9-changes-ahead-of-september-launch/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |language=en-US}} On September 28, 2024, she co-hosted NASA's coverage of the Crew-9 launch, along with NASA communicator Derrol Nail and a brief appearance by Wilson, commenting during the nearly five-hour broadcast at length on the experience that Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov were going through as they successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.{{cite web |title=NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Launch | date=September 28, 2024 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKXtysRx0b4 |publisher=NASA |access-date=28 September 2024}}

On March 27, 2025, Cardman was announced as the commander of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission.

Her hobbies include rock climbing, caving, poetry, and power lifting.

Cardman has received numerous academic awards, including a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Royster Society Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, Chancellor's Award (UNC Chapel Hill) for Most Outstanding Senior Woman, and Space Grant Consortium Fellowships.

{{NASA |article=Astronaut Zena Cardman |url=https://www.nasa.gov/people/zena-cardman/ |access-date=November 21, 2024 |comment=Official NASA biography }}

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• [https://xyzena.com/ Zena Cardman's website]

{{NASA Astronaut Group 22}}

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Category:American astronauts

Category:People from Urbana, Illinois

Category:Living people

Category:1987 births

Category:American women astronauts

Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni

Category:Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences alumni

Category:People from Williamsburg, Virginia

Category:American microbiologists