NASA Announces Kayla Barron as Commander of Upcoming Space Mission
Gates Cambridge Scholar Kayla Barron (2010) has been appointed as the spacecraft commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, which is set to launch no earlier than spring 2027.
The Crew-14 mission features a four-member team from three different space agencies, marking the 14th commercial crew rotation under NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Programme. The mission aims to conduct scientific investigations and demonstrations of new technologies to pave the way for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars while also benefiting people on Earth.
This upcoming flight will be Kayla’s second visit to the space station. Having joined NASA as an astronaut in 2017, she has a background as a former US Navy commander and holds a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Kayla previously launched to the space station in 2021 on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission, where she spent a total of 177 days in space across Expeditions 66/67. During her first mission, she completed two spacewalks and served as the lead robotics operator. Recently, she has contributed to the development of innovative technologies and operational strategies for NASA’s Artemis program.
