Andrea Macdonald, founder of ideaXme, interviews Dr. Mindy Howard, astronaut trainer.
Listen to this interview to discover Dr. Mindy Howard’s path to becoming an astronaut trainer. Learn of her current role as astronaut trainer for Blue Abyss and AdvancingX Career Astronauts. Moreover, hear her advice for Yumna Majeed, for B.S (Hons) in Medical Laboratory Technology at Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore and ideaXme’s first student space ambassador, who would like to become the first female astronaut of Pakistan.
Astronaut trainer: Highly qualified astronaut candidate
Dr. Mindy Howard is an astronaut trainer. She has been considered by NASA to be a highly trained astronaut candidate. She is a fully trained flight member for the Association of Spaceflight Professionals. She is considered by many to be the foremost expert in training your fear away. Mindy primarily focuses on helping astronauts to be fearless. She also has valuable lessons, irrespective of career focus, for all those who’d like to train themselves to be brave.
Howard has written and presented publications at international scientific and space conferences. Her extensive knowledge in space training has resulted in appearances in the media, both on national TV, Discovery Channel, and radio as a “space correspondent” both in the United States and in Europe. She is a TEDx speaker “Train your fear away, like an astronaut”. Moreover, Howard is a guest lecturer at the International Space University.
From an early age Howard’s dream was to have a career in the space industry. Yet, for a time she worked in the oil industry. Later, she returned to that objective, when a colleague sent her on a space training programme.
Like many aspiring astronauts, Dr. Mindy Howard focused on an education in the sciences. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering in the United States and her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.
She lives in the Netherlands with dual citizenship, Dutch and American. From thousands she was selected by NASA to be the last of 200 candidates considered as a “Highly Qualified Astronaut Candidate”.
Astronaut trainer reignited her dream to work in the space industry
After leaving the oil industry, Dr. Howard reignited her dream to complete her training as an astronaut. While undergoing 6Gs in a human centrifuge, she saw how others struggled in the centrifuge and saw a way that she could help commercial astronauts to psychologically prepare for the rigours of space flight.
Photo Credit: Blue Abyss
Dr. Howard went on to harness her personal experience with space training, academic and professional skills to create Inner Space Training, the first and only psychological space training.
She now works with Blue Abyss Ltd., the world’s first commercial astronaut training centre as the Director of Inner Space Training.
Astronaut trainer for AdvancingX’s astronaut competition
Moreover, she works in a similar capacity for AdvancingX who have launched the Career Astronauts competition. The winners will be given a trip to space. Dr. Howard is the astronaut trainer and coach for those lucky winners, moreover she will achieve her dream of flying to space in her capacity as their coach, in 2023.
If you enjoyed this interview, you’ll love What Makes the Brave, Brave? and Healthcare for Mars
Credits: Andrea Macdonald interview video, text, and audio.
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