Purdue University is the Cradle of Astronauts®

Explore space with Boilermakers past and present.

When it comes to space exploration, Purdue University stands out — 27 astronauts strong.

Neil Armstrong (BS aeronautical engineering ’55) was the first person to walk on the #moon. Eugene Cernan (BS electrical engineering ’56) was the most recent.  

Again and again and again Boilermakers have been willing to go first, to keep pushing, to take the next giant leap.  

Nearly a third of U.S. spaceflights have included a Purdue graduate, and 10-plus missions have included multiple Purdue alums. 

Purdue alumni are also achieving milestones in space with commercial ventures such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and SpaceX. 

Why so many astronauts at Purdue? Meet a few of these pioneering Boilermakers and discover why we are known as the Cradle of Astronauts.