NASA spaceman Jeanette Epps , who was slated to be the first African - American spacefarer to assist as a long - condition crew extremity on the International Space Station until she waspulled from the rosterin January , is still waiting on an account of why .
Epps , who take for a Ph . D in aerospace engine room and previously form with Ford Motors and the CIA , first qualifiedas an astronaut candidate in 2009 and has been aim for space ever since . According to theHouston Chronicle , Epps recently say newsperson Megan Gannon at the Tech Open Air Festival that she believed NASA , not an official with Russia ’s Roscosmos space agency , made the call to get out her off the June 6th missionary station . But whoever changed the roll has decided she is well left in the darkness about why , the Chronicle save :
“ I do n’t know where the decision came from and how it was made , in detail or at what story … I earnestly do not think it was the Russians , partly because I had been through the grooming with them and I was able to develop adept working human relationship with everyone there , ” Epps say . “ There were Russians , several of them , who guard me in the signified that its not safe to really transfer someone from a crew that has trained together for days . ”
Epps ’ replacement , astronaut Serena Auñón - Chancellor , launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan this calendar month alongside crew from Roscosmos and the European Space Agency .
Per Space.com , Epps also said that she is sure she did not break to qualify as a result of wellness or folk reasons , and that “ everything was dispatch ” with respect to her qualifications . She also expressed her worry that because NASA currently leases human transport to the ISS on Russian Soyuz aircraft at unconscionable prices , a relationshipexpected to endbefore Boeing ’s CST-100 Starliner or SpaceX ’s Crew Dragon capsule will likely be ready , her extensive crossbreeding - training with the Russians to function the Soyuz could go to wasteland .
NASA never publicly explained the situation , bring up to the spaceman selection cognitive process as “ force affair for which NASA does n’t offer information,”per the Verge . It gave the same explanation to the Chronicle this week .
During the interview , Epps distanced herself from the widespread supposition that racism or sexism could have played a role in her removal from the mission , Space.com wrote :
“ There ’s no clip to really be interested about sexism and racialism and thing like that , because we have to perform , ” Epps said . “ And if it come into play , then you ’re hinder the mission , and you ’re handicap the performance . And so whether or not it is a agent , I ca n’t speculate what mass are thinking and doing unless I have a little moment more information . ”
As theWashington Postnoted , though some including her pal Henry Epps believed bigotry was behind the conclusion , “ last - moment crew change are not unusual at NASA . ”
Though there have been14 shameful astronautsincluding three women , Epps would have been the first to stay on the ISS for a lengthy period of time .
“ There have been three African - Americans who have visited ISS , but they have n’t done the long - duration missionary station that I am contract , ” Eppstold the Cutlast class . “ I ’ll be the one spending the longest clip on the ISS . As a steward , I want to do well with this accolade . ”
Space.com added that in the lag , Epps has been spending her meter working on NASA ’s Orion program and CAPCOM , which helps align the activities of cosmonaut on foreign mission and Mission Control atJohnson Space Centerin Houston .
[ Houston Chronicle / Space.comviaBusiness Insider ]
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