Williamsburg astronaut Zena Cardman meets virtually with Sen. Warner ahead of launch

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia met virtually last week with NASA Astronaut and Williamsburg native Zena Cardman ahead of her launch to the International Space Station in August.

As Crew-9 Commander, Cardman, 36, will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and spend six months at the International Space Station conducting a wide-ranging set of operational and research activities.

The launch will be Cardman’s first spaceflight after being selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. A graduate of Bruton High School, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s in Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the time of selection by NASA, she was a doctoral candidate in geosciences. Cardman’s research focused on geobiology and geochemical cycling in subsurface environments, from caves to deep sea sediments. Since completing initial training, Cardman has supported real-time station operations and development for lunar surface exploration.

“Had the honor of meeting virtually today with Williamsburg’s own Zena Cardman — the NASA Astronaut and Crew-9 Commander who will soon be heading to the International Space Station for 6 months. Zena told me all about her path to becoming an astronaut, including the inspiration she drew from her biology teacher at Bruton High School, the important influence of growing up next to Jefferson Lab, and the valuable experiences at Virginia laboratories that helped shape her interest in research. It’s clear: the Commonwealth is for STEM leaders,” Warner tweeted on Thursday.

Cardman was selected by NASA as a member of the 2017 “Turtles” Astronaut Class. According to NASA, prior to her career as an astronaut, she worked with NASA-supported field tests, including Pavilion Lake and BASALT.

Cardman has earned numerous awards and honors, including an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2012-2017), Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Fellowships (2015-2016), Royster Society Distinguished Graduate Fellowship (2012-2014), Irene F. Lee Chancellor’s Award for Most Outstanding Senior Woman (2010), North Carolina Space Grant Fellowships (2008-2010, 2013-2014) and Chancellor’s Carolina Scholarship (2006-2010).