Beth Moses facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Natalie Beth Moses
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Purdue University, B.S. 1992; M.S. 1994
Spouse(s)	Mike Moses
Status	Active
Occupation	Commercial astronaut trainer
Space career
Virgin Galactic commercial astronaut
Missions	VF-01, Unity 22, Unity 25, Galactic 02, Galactic 03, Galactic 04

Beth Moses is a very important person at Virgin Galactic. She is the chief instructor for people who will fly into space. She also manages the inside design of the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls her a commercial astronaut. This means she flies into space for a company, not a government space agency.

Beth Moses made history on February 22, 2019. She was the first woman to fly into space on a vehicle launched by a private company. This flight was called VSS Unity VF-01. She was also part of the six-person crew that flew the first fully-crewed test flight to space. This happened on July 11, 2021, also aboard VSS Unity.

Beth Moses's Journey to Space

Early Life and Education

Natalie Beth Stubbings grew up in Northbrook, Illinois. She went to Glenbrook North High School. She loved learning about how things fly. She earned two degrees from Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She got her first degree in 1992 and her second in 1994. Both were in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. This is the study of designing and building aircraft and spacecraft.

While she was a student, Beth did special research. She studied materials during "parabolic flight." This is a type of flight that creates a feeling of weightlessness, like in space.

Working at NASA

After college, Beth Moses worked for NASA. NASA is the United States' space agency. She was a senior engineer in the EVA Project Office. EVA stands for Extravehicular Activity. This means spacewalks!

Beth became the assembly manager for the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is a huge research lab orbiting Earth. She led a worldwide team that designed and tested the tools and methods for spacewalks. These spacewalks were needed to build and maintain the space station.

Joining Virgin Galactic

Later, Beth Moses joined Virgin Galactic. This company aims to make space travel possible for more people. At Virgin Galactic, she became the chief astronaut instructor. She teaches future space travelers how to prepare for their journey. She also makes sure the inside of the spacecraft is comfortable and safe.

Her Historic Spaceflight

On February 22, 2019, Beth Moses made her first spaceflight. She flew on the VSS Unity VF-01 mission. During this flight, she became the first person on a suborbital mission to unstrap and float around the cabin. She did this as part of her job. She was evaluating what the experience would be like for future passengers.

On this mission, she reached a height of about 89.9 kilometers (55.9 miles) above Earth. This height is considered the edge of space by the FAA. Because of this flight, the Federal Aviation Administration gave her the Commercial Astronaut Wings. This is a special award for people who fly into space for private companies.

Inspiring Words

Beth Moses believes that space travel can help our planet. She has shared some inspiring thoughts:

• "If more people can experience spaceflight, it will bring amazing benefits and changes to Earth. What if every world leader saw Earth from space? It might be a more gentle, kind planet."
• "After many projects, I can say this: never giving up in engineering is more important than who you are. In modern space travel, it doesn't matter what you look like. It doesn't matter where your parents lived. It doesn't even matter what language you grew up speaking. What truly matters is your engineering skill, common sense, politeness, persistence, and dedication to the shared goal."

Awards and Recognition

Beth Moses has received several important awards for her work.

• She was given the National Science Foundation's Microgravity Research Award. This award helped her continue her research on weightlessness.
• In 2009, the International Space Station (ISS) received the Robert J. Collier Trophy. This is a very prestigious award in aviation and aerospace. Beth Moses played a big part in the development work that led to this honor.
• In 2021, her old high school, Glenbrook North High School, gave her the Distinguished Alumni Award. This award recognizes successful former students.