From the Track To the Stars: Cris Birch Was a Cyclist, Now She’s an Astronaut

Space and the Space Program used to be huge in America. The launch of new rockets or the Space Shuttle was national news. People stopped to watch.

These days, while there’s less excitement, it’s coming back – thanks in part to Elon Musk and his rockets.

But there are still stargazers out there. Former professional cyclist Cris Birch is one of them.

And one day, she might be among the stars!

Cris Birch: Cyclist

When people think of astronauts, they probably think of Poindexter in thick glasses and a pocket protector. Not Cris Birch! She got her start cycling at MIT, where she studied biological engineering.

Cycling isn’t as easy as it looks, if it even does look easy. But Birch made a name for herself despite the unusually late start in life.

That didn’t seem to matter. She won a national championship in 2014 – the USA Cycling collegiate cyclocross for Division II. Not too shabby!

But that’s just the start. She is an 11-time national champion, three-time World Cup medalist, and even made the 2020 Olympic team.

How’s that for a slow start? And while that’s impressive for anyone, Birch was doing this while earning her Ph.D. at perhaps the toughest school in the world.

Cris Birch: Astronaut

All Cris Birch’s studying in biological engineering paid off, too. Besides lecturing at UC-Riverside and the California Institute of Technology, she achieved her dream.

Reporting for duty in 2022, Birch made the final cut for astronaut candidacy in the 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. The initial training, according to NASA, takes at least two years.

You’ve seen it in movies like The Right Stuff: every manner of physical test, from the giant gyro to lung capacity tests.

Birch was recently profiled by CNN, which provided some interesting nuggets. Part of her training also includes flying jets, practicing for space walks, and mastering the International Space Station’s robotic arm.

How does she feel about it? Let her tell you:

“I absolutely would love to explore off this planet. I think there’s a pretty good shot that I’ll get to go do science aboard the International Space Station, maybe even get to do some wrenching outside and work on making some upgrades.

“It would be an absolute career highlight to be able to go back to the moon as part of one of the Artemis missions and do science on the moon.”

CNN

Here’s an up-close look at some of the training those Artemis astronauts are doing now:

This writer has a personal interest in space, and the tortured neck to prove it. Sadly, I won’t be getting a doctorate any time soon, so unlike Cris Birch, I’ll have to wait for Elon’s rockets to become affordable for the average man.

Hats off to Cris Birch on this incredible achievement!