Serena Auñón-Chancellor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Serena Auñón-Chancellor
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Auñón-Chancellor in 2015
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Serena Maria Auñón
April 9, 1976 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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196 days, 17 hours, 49 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 20 (2009) |
| Missions | Soyuz MS-09 (Expedition 56/57) |
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Mission insignia
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Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor, born on April 9, 1976, is an American doctor and engineer. She is also a NASA astronaut. She traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) for a long mission. After her space journey, she started a new job at NASA. Now, she helps manage medical care for astronauts living on the space station.
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Becoming a Doctor and Engineer
Serena Auñón-Chancellor went to Poudre High School in Fort Collins, Colorado. She studied Electrical Engineering at George Washington University. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree there.
Later, she became a medical doctor. She received her M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 2001. She also earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in 2006. She completed special training in internal medicine and aerospace medicine at UTMB. This means she is an expert in treating people and in health for space travel.
Her Medical Work
Before becoming an astronaut, Dr. Auñón-Chancellor worked for NASA as a flight surgeon. A flight surgeon is a doctor who takes care of astronauts. She spent over nine months in Russia. There, she helped with medical support for astronauts on the International Space Station.
In 2009, she received an award for her work. This award recognized her help with astronaut health. It also honored her work in creating medical kits for space missions. These kits are used when astronauts launch and land in Kazakhstan.
Joining NASA as an Astronaut
Serena Auñón-Chancellor was chosen to become an astronaut in June 2009. She finished her astronaut training program in 2011.
As part of her training, she went to Antarctica. She spent two months there from 2010 to 2011. She was part of an expedition called ANSMET. This team looked for meteorites in Antarctica. They found over 1200 space rocks!
She also helped with space missions from Earth. She was a deputy crew surgeon for STS-127 and Expedition 22. She also helped with medical plans for the Orion spacecraft. Plus, she worked in the CAPCOM branch. This means she was one of the people who talks to astronauts in space from mission control.
Underwater Training Missions
In June 2012, Dr. Auñón-Chancellor piloted a special submersible vehicle. This was for a NASA/NOAA mission called NEEMO 16. It was an underwater exploration mission off the coast of Florida.
In July 2015, she joined another NEEMO mission, NEEMO 20. During these missions, astronauts live and work underwater. This helps them practice for living in space. People who do this are called aquanauts.
Her Mission to the International Space Station
In 2018, Dr. Auñón-Chancellor traveled to the International Space Station. She spent 196 days, 17 hours, and 49 minutes in space. She was part of Expedition 56 and 57. She arrived on the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. From June to December 2018, she worked as a flight engineer for NASA.
Working as a Management Astronaut
After her space mission, Dr. Auñón-Chancellor became a Management Astronaut. In this role, she focuses on medical issues for astronauts. She also provides support for astronauts who are currently in space.
In January 2020, she shared information from a study. This study was about an astronaut who had a medical issue in space. The astronaut had to treat themselves on the International Space Station.
Claims and Denials
In 2021, there were some claims made by a Russian news service. These claims suggested that Dr. Auñón-Chancellor had a medical problem in space. They also claimed she caused damage to the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft.
NASA strongly denied these claims. Officials stated they knew where all U.S. astronauts were at all times. They confirmed no U.S. astronaut was near the part of the station where the damage happened. NASA shared this information with Russian officials. These claims came during a time when relations between the U.S. and Russia were tense.
Research Work
Dr. Auñón-Chancellor also does research. She studies how space radiation affects astronauts' health. She uses computer models to understand the radiation inside a spacecraft.
Her Life Outside of Space
Serena Auñón-Chancellor's father, Jorge Auñón, came to the United States from Cuba in 1960. Her mother is Margaret Auñón.
She is married to a physicist named Jeff Chancellor. She also has a step-daughter.
Dr. Auñón-Chancellor enjoys amateur radio. Her call sign is KG5TMT. She got her license in 2017. During her time on the ISS, she sometimes made random radio calls. She talked to people on Earth, especially when the ISS flew over the U.S.
She also teaches students at the University of Texas A&M. She is a professor in the Family Medicine Residency Program. She is also the Director of the Texas Medical Branch Aerospace Medicine Residency Program. She helps train new doctors who want to work with the U.S. space program.
Awards and Recognitions
Dr. Auñón-Chancellor has received several awards for her excellent work:
- 2004 - Thomas N. and Gleaves James Award
- 2006 - William K. Douglas Award
- 2007 - Outstanding UTMB Resident Award
- 2009 - United States Air Force Flight Surgeons Julian Ward Award
See also
In Spanish: Serena M. Auñón para niños
- List of female astronauts
- List of Hispanic astronauts
