Yvonne Cagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yvonne Cagle
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Cagle in 2004
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| Born |
Yvonne Darlene Cagle
April 24, 1959 West Point, New York, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Colonel, USAF |
| Selection | NASA Group 16 (1996) |
| Retirement | 2008 |
Yvonne Darlene Cagle, born on April 24, 1959, is an amazing American doctor, teacher, and former United States Air Force Colonel. She is also a NASA astronaut! Dr. Cagle joined NASA's astronaut team in 1996. She is one of only six African American women who have become astronauts.
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Yvonne Cagle's Early Life and Education
Yvonne Cagle was born in West Point, New York. She finished high school in Novato, California. She then went to San Francisco State University, where she earned a degree in biochemistry in 1981. Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of living things.
After that, she earned her medical degree from the University of Washington in 1985. This means she became a doctor! She also studied Aerospace Medicine, which is about keeping people healthy in space.
Serving in the U.S. Air Force
Before becoming an astronaut, Dr. Cagle was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. She worked as a medical officer. In 1989, she helped with a space mission called STS-30. Her job was to be a medical liaison for the Air Force.
From 1994 to 1996, she worked as a doctor at NASA's health clinic. She made sure that NASA employees stayed healthy. In 2008, she retired from the Air Force.
Becoming a NASA Astronaut
In 1996, Yvonne Cagle was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut. She was part of the 16th group of astronauts.
Preparing for Space Missions
Even though she never flew into space, Dr. Cagle did a lot of important work. In 2013, she was part of a special team for a project called HI-SEAS. This project studied how to keep astronauts healthy and well-fed on long trips. These trips could be to places like Mars or the Moon.
Teaching and Research
In 2014, Dr. Cagle was a visiting professor at Fordham University. She worked on research about health, the environment, and how humans perform. Fordham University even gave her an honorary Ph.D. for her important work in science and health.
Dr. Cagle also teaches at other universities. She is a professor at Stanford University, UC Davis, and UTMB Galveston. She helps connect NASA with technology companies like Google.
Current Role at NASA
By 2017, Dr. Cagle became a NASA Management Astronaut. This means she works for NASA but is no longer assigned to fly in space. She still works at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. She is also a chief scientist for a NASA program that uses reusable suborbital rockets for research.
Dr. Cagle is an honorary member of the Danish Astronautical Society. She also gives talks about space, like her 2018 TEDx talk called "Poetry of space on Earth."
Awards and Special Recognitions
Dr. Cagle has received many awards for her amazing work:
- Outstanding Young Women of America
- National Defense Service Medal
- Air Force Achievement Medal
- U.S. Air Force Air Staff Exceptional Physician Commendation
- National Technical Association Distinguished Scientist Award
- Honorary Ph.D. in Humanities from Fordham University
In 2017, she had the honor of bringing Katherine Johnson onto the stage at the Academy Awards. Katherine Johnson was a famous African American mathematician who worked for NASA.
See also
