Enlisted in Space: Wittner’s journey to space is one of dedication

If Jessica Wittner can prove anything, it’s about perseverance. Even if she doesn’t fulfill her goal of walking on the moon, she can still share a story about how hard work can help you live your dreams.

During a chat Saturday afternoon at Kerrville Riverside Nature Center, Wittner, 41, regaled a standing-room-only crowd with how she moved from serving five years as an enlisted mechanic servicing U.S. Navy fighter aircraft to flying them to becoming one of 38 active NASA astronauts.

To meet Wittner, you might assume the woman in the blue NASA flight suit may have taken the traditional role pilots take to space — Naval Academy graduate or through officer candidate school. Of the 83 Navy astronauts, 55 graduated from the Naval Academy.

Wittner was in Kerrville to share her story thanks to her parents connecting with the Nature Center. Randy and Ginie Owens call Bandera home and helped arrange the visit, which included a handful of children.

“This is the first time I’ve done this,” Wittner said about speaking in front of a group after graduating from NASA’s astronaut training program in March.

Watching and listening were Tally Elementary third graders Freya Carlson and Eleanor Elliston.

“I liked learning about all of the jets that she flew,” said Carlson, 8.

“I learned a lot about the moon,” said Elliston, 8.

Wittner’s next steps could be in the International Space Station or on the moon in a career already defined by gravity-defying achievement. The goal for Wittner is simple: “I want to pick up moon rocks,” said Wittner, admitting she probably should have studied geology on top of her deep engineering background.

“This is the culmination of a lifelong dream,” Wittner told the audience, which included several former NASA employees.

Wittner’s journey to becoming an astronaut could have stopped after five years of serving as an enlisted mechanic who hadn’t followed through on returning to school. At 12 years old, she remembers seeing the International Space Station fly by during an astronomy event. Already hooked on airplanes and flying, Wittner’s observation of the Space Station changed her focus toward space.

As a high school junior, Wittner decided that maintaining good grades was too much work — it may have been the only time she sloughed off. The Naval Academy wasn’t in the books for her Wittner, but not her devotion to the military.

“I had a serious passion for the military,” said Wittner, who learned the way of aircraft maintenance — specifically the Navy’s F-18 fighter bomber.

She may have never left the enlisted ranks if it wasn’t for an officer in her division, but he pushed her to apply for an officer candidate program.

“I absolutely loved it,” Wittner said of her time working as a mechanic.

Drawing inspiration from her grandfather, who had enlisted in the Navy and rose to become a commander, Wittner figured she could meet the challenge of officer candidate school and obtain a bachelor’s degree in engineering. It wouldn’t be easy; she failed three times to gain admission to the program. Finally, Wittner earned a passing score on the fourth try, leading her to a new career. The officer candidate school proved life-changing; it’s where she met her husband, Tim, who was also leaving the enlisted ranks.

This career led her to the University of Arizona, where she spent three years completing 24 units each semester before earning a degree in aeronautical engineering.

“It turns out that I didn’t like algebra, but I enjoyed calculus,” Wittner said.

From Arizona, she returned to full-time naval service, this time in Pensacola, Florida, to learn how to fly aircraft carrier-based fighter planes. Eventually, she earned an assignment to the Blue Blasters, becoming the first woman to serve in the squadron. She would serve on the U.S. Ronald Reagan, flying missions in the F-18 from the aircraft carrier.

However, reaching space was on her mind, and she applied to become a test pilot.
“I still wanted to be on the astronaut track,” Wittner said. “You could go to the weapons schools or test pilot school. The test pilot route was the astronaut route.”

She eventually earned an assignment at China Lake Naval Weapons Air Station in California’s high desert. The experience gave her training in various aircraft, from helicopters to jets to even learning to fly a World War II-era B-25 bomber. Becoming a test pilot improved her chances of becoming an astronaut. While at China Lake, she completed an engineering master’s degree and applied for consideration to join NASA’s astronaut corps.

“It was at China Lake that I knew I had made the right choice,” she said.

However, she also faced another career change by returning to regular duty in an F-18 squadron based out of Lemoore, Calif. and assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. During a flight aboard the carrier, she missed a call from NASA, later finding out it was the offer to become an astronaut.

“I honestly panicked,” Wittner said of the missed call. “I called back and the chief of the astronaut division answered the phone. He said how would you like to be an astronaut.”

From there, Wittner faced another dizzying round of continuous education to complete her journey, including learning how to perform studies in a laboratory. Yet, her most significant test will be when she gets the call to go to space, and after Saturday, she’ll have plenty of fans in Kerr County rooting for her success.