NASA TO SEND FIRST U.S. ARMY DOCTOR TO SPACE
A lifelong love for science, history and military aviation will send Lt. Col. (Dr.) Andrew Morgan, a NASA astronaut and emergency physician credentialed at Brooke Army Medical Center, to Earth’s orbit in 2019 as part of a mission to the International Space Station.
Morgan’s father served in the U.S. Air Force, and his family was stationed in San Antonio during the height of the space shuttle program.
"When the space shuttle flew piggyback on a 747 between Florida and California, it occasionally stopped in San Antonio while en route, and from our home near Leon Valley, we could often see this incredible sight as it made its final approach into Kelly Air Force Base. I remember it distinctly, and it made a lasting impression on me,” he said.
Though intrigued by the space program, Morgan ultimately chose to pursue an Army medical career. He earned his bachelor's degree in environmental engineering at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, followed by a doctorate of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.
Morgan heard in 2011 that NASA was interviewing for its next class of astronauts – and he decided to submit an application to satisfy his long-held interest in space. The interview process was strenuous, and Morgan was one of 120 interviewees who participated in an 18-month-long selection process involving medical testing and language aptitude testing. In 2013, he became the first Army Medical Corps officer ever selected to serve as an astronaut, and he will be the first Army doctor in space.
Morgan says he is most excited to gaze down at Earth and participate in space walks – and he’s crediting the Army for his chance to do that.
“Everything I brought to the table [in my interview] was given to me by the Army – my undergraduate and graduate education, residency, and operational experiences,” Morgan said.
You can read more about Morgan’s story here, or follow his journey on social media at: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
