Ten days, 248,655 miles from Earth, around the far side of the moon and back. The Artemis II crew has set multiple records that no human has ever set before. Among this crew is the first woman to see the far side of the moon with her own eyes: Christina Koch.
The Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1 and successfully splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 11, has paved the way for future Artemis missions to explore the long-awaited return to the moon and the possibility of eventually exploring Mars.
Christina Koch, a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission and NC State University alumna, was a key component in the success of the mission. The mission caps a long set of accomplishments by Koch.
Prior to being assigned to the Artemis II mission, Koch served at NASA as branch chief of the Assigned Crew Branch in the Astronaut Office and contributed time to them as assistant for technical integration.
Before she was an astronaut, Koch had a long history as a student at NC State University.
Koch, a three-time graduate and Technician alumna, earned her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University in 2001. She also earned her Bachelor of Physics and Master of Electrical Engineering in 2002. She later earned an honorary Ph.D. from the University to recognize her extraordinary achievements.
Stephen Reynolds, an emeritus professor of physics and mentor to Koch during her time at NC State, said her drive and talent in her field were evident since her first day at the University.
“She was given a very challenging problem and just dived into it,” Reynolds said. “She didn’t bother to look around to see if anybody else had done it better. She just went right for it.”
Reynolds wrote Koch a letter of recommendation in 1999, after only three semesters of knowing her, highlighting that while her talent was undeniable, it was Koch as a person that made her stand out.
“Christina Hammock is an exceptional individual in every way. Least interestingly, she has essentially a 4.0 GPA. More telling is her motivation for excellence in school, a lifelong dream to join the space program. At NC State, her overpowering desire to learn and understand are evident in every class, but she extends her interests beyond the classroom as well, giving evidence of a deep scientific curiosity. She has applied for summer work in astrophysics research in the physics department, and will be a very strong candidate. Such quantitative talent is rarely found and is articulate, enthusiastic and personable an individual as Ms. Hammock,” Reynolds’ letter of recommendation states.
Reynolds said Koch has always been motivated to help humanity, and that much was clear through her work and everyday life.
“Let’s face it, physics students tend not to be the most outgoing and sociable kinds of people. And [Koch] was certainly that way, but in an absolutely positive, enthusiastic way,” Reynolds said. “She was the kind of person who just brightened a room when she walked in. So she would have been a success in any field, I think, just because of that personality. But then you couple it with really terrific technical talent, then you get a very unusual combination.”
Koch always wanted to be an astronaut, to devote her life to research for the betterment of all of humanity, but she knew her odds were not the greatest, Reynolds said.
“Brilliant as she was, she knew that the odds [of getting into NASA’S astronaut program] were still terrible, and she had a backup plan. Her backup plan was medical school,” Reynolds said. “Her goal has always been to do things that would benefit humanity.”
Despite the odds, Koch was selected for the NASA astronaut program in 2013. She went on to spend a total of 328 consecutive days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalk.
Reynolds said Koch got to where she is because of her hard work and drive; the achievements and records she set just happened to be made along the way.
“Christina herself downplays the significance of being the first woman to do anything. She has always regarded herself as simply a representative of all humans. And I think that’s really gratifying,” Reynolds said. “Now, she can’t help the fact that she shows that women can do anything. She doesn’t have to brag on it. She doesn’t need to make much out of it. The symbolism is clear, but also in her pointing out that she’s not there because she’s a woman. She’s there because she’s a brilliant human being who was the best choice, along with her seven other classmates in 2013, to be astronauts.”
Koch’s success has been inspiring, not only for the STEM and engineering students at NC State University, but for the whole community. Koch’s success and humility are what draw the University students to her.
Reynolds said he kept up with Koch following her graduation from NC State University, and many things changed. The one thing that did not change was her dedication to help all of humanity and her positive attitude while doing so, Reynolds said.
“When I was at Goddard [Space Flight Center], I ran into her, and we arranged to go to a ballet together. She had never been to a ballet … and we took the metro out to the Kennedy Center and got so involved in the conversation that we missed our stop,” Reynolds said. “She’s a fascinating person to talk to. She knows a lot and is. Remarkably, it’s partly this general positive attitude about everything.”
Reynolds said his main takeaway from Koch’s success is that hard work and determination pay off.
“People can beat the odds. Deserving people can win,” Reynolds said. “Here is this incredible lottery where tens of thousands apply for eight positions, and we all believed in her; we also knew that those odds were really long, but sometimes, people beat the long odds, and she did.”
