Nichole "Vapor" Ayers is a major in the United States Air Force and NASA astronaut candidate. She is currently a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado.[2][3]

Nichole Ayers
Born	1988/1989 (age 32–33)[1] San Diego, California, U.S.
Status	Active
Alma mater	United States Air Force Academy Rice University
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Major, USAF
Selection	NASA Group 23

Education

Nichole Ayers graduated from Woodland Park High School in Woodland Park, Colorado. Afterwards, she attended the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), where she graduated a bachelor's degree in mathematics (with a minor in Russian) in 2011. She later went on to earn a master's degree in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University in 2013.[4]

Career

In 2014, Nichole Ayers completed flight training, and flew the T-38 for an adversary squadron at Langley Air Force Base. She later became a flight instructor, providing adversary training to F-22 Raptor units based at Langley. In 2018, Ayers completed training for the F-22, and currently serves as a flight instructor for the F-22. Ayers has logged more than 200 flight hours during Operation Inherent Resolve. At the time of her selection as an Astronaut Candidate, Ayers was the assistant director of operations of the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base.[4]

Astronaut candidacy

On December 6, 2021, Nichole Ayers was revealed to be one of ten candidates selected as part NASA Astronaut Group 23.

Awards and honors

Ayers was a distinguished graduate of the USAFA and Undergraduate Pilot Training. She has received the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal.[4]

References

На других языках

[de] Nichole Ayers

[fr] Nichole Ayers

[it] Nichole Ayers