New NASA Astronaut: Katherine Spies

Bio
Katherine Spies, born in Mission Viejo, California, considers San Diego her hometown. Her mother, Jeanie Spies, resides in San Diego, and her father, Harry Spies, is a retired Marine Corps colonel.

She is an avid runner and backcountry skier, enjoys painting, and shares adventures with family and friends.

Spies pursued a year of solo global travel through the Balkans, Southwest China, Southeast Asia, and the Arctic Circle. She worked as an alpine ski instructor in Utah, earning Professional Ski Instructors of America Level I certification.

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 2004, she continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Reserve.

Background
A former Marine Corps AH-1 attack helicopter pilot and experimental test pilot, Spies has over 2,000 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft, including over 300 in combat.

She completed The Basic School and flight training, earning Naval Aviator wings in 2006. Trained as an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot, she served with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 at Camp Pendleton.

Promoted to captain in 2008, she completed overseas deployments with Marine Expeditionary Units supporting operations in the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific. Selected for U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 2012, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21. Worked as a developmental flight test leader at Amazon Prime Air and, at selection, as director of flight test engineering at Gulfstream Aerospace.