Purdue Boilermakers in Space

Historic feats and today’s innovations are found at Purdue, the Cradle of Astronauts® 

Few universities can match the impact that Purdue has had upon the U.S. space program. Progress in space exploration has been forged by early legends like Virgil “Gus” Grissom and Neil Armstrong to modern-day alumni working on the International Space Station and as commercial astronauts. 

Learn more about this incredible legacy, plus the preparation of a new generation of Boilermakers planning to travel to Mars and beyond. 

Purdue’s 30 astronaut alumni include Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan, the first and most recent humans to walk on the moon, as well as:  

  • Gus Grissom: Second American in space and participant in first U.S. two-person spaceflight  
  • Janice Voss: Set record for female astronauts with five spaceflights  
  • Jerry Ross: Participant in seven NASA missions and nine spacewalks  
  • Beth Moses: First female commercial astronaut  
  • Loren Shriver: Commanded space shuttle to record altitude (383 miles) to deploy Hubble Space Telescope  
  • Drew Feustel: Third-most hours spent spacewalking (61 hours, 48 minutes)

Purdue astronaut Loral O’Hara

How Purdue astronaut Loral O’Hara fulfilled her childhood space dreams

Since completing astronaut training in 2020, Loral O’Hara has been waiting for her flight to space. It’s finally coming.

Learn More

Sirisha Bandla took unconventional small steps before her giant leap into commercial spaceflight

Though setbacks could have deterred her, Bandla persisted and achieved her dream of going into space Sirisha Bandla’s earliest childhood memories involve lying on the roof of her family’s home in India and staring at the night sky. “In India, your

Learn More
Audrey Powers at Purdue’s Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering

Audrey Powers ‘overwhelmed’ to join Purdue’s Cradle of Astronauts

By performing vital engineering work during Blue Origin’s New Shepard flight, Audrey Powers qualified as Purdue’s third commercial astronaut and 27th member of the Cradle of Astronauts.

Learn More

CRADLE OF ASTRONAUTS®

Meet the 30 Purdue astronauts who have traveled to space. 

Related Stories

No results found!

NASA Space Launch System rocket on the launchpad at night with a full moon in the background.

article | Experience

Meet some of the Purdue alums who have powered NASA’s Artemis program 

Boilermakers have taken part in every stage of the development of the Artemis program.

Learn More
James Haber at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

article | Experience

Exploring Mars from Purdue to the National Air and Space Museum 

James Haber charted a course to study space; now he’s a Smithsonian researcher.

Learn More
Jason Williamson leans against a railing in the atrium of Purdue’s Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering

article | Experience

Boilermaker alum to achieve lifelong space dream aboard Purdue 1

Traveling to space was no fleeting interest for Jason Williamson. It was a true passion.

Learn More
Purdue student Abigail Mizzi poses for a photo at the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering

article | Experience

Grad student grateful for mentors’ role in her all-Purdue spaceflight

Graduate student Abigail Mizzi is preparing to make history on the Purdue 1 spaceflight.

Learn More
Emily Spreen riding in a helicopter.

article | Experience

Achieving dreams, from three Purdue degrees to NASA missions

Emily Spreen doesn’t have one of the most interesting roles in aerospace — she has two.

Learn More
Purdue professor Steven Collicott poses for a photo at Purdue’s Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering

article | Research

Steven Collicott’s Purdue 1 challenge: Don’t look out the window

Steven Collicott’s goal on the Purdue 1 flight is to “justify the presence of the person.”

Learn More
Purdue alumni Rob Lantz, Jason Endsley and Emily Spreen stand next to a practice Orion crew module

article | Experience

Purdue alums waiting to help Artemis astronauts return home safely

The Landing and Recovery Operations team spent years preparing for Artemis II splashdown.

Learn More
Astronaut Gus Grissom and the Liberty Bell 7

article | Experience

Remembering an American hero: Purdue’s first astronaut, Gus Grissom

Purdue astronaut Gus Grissom would have celebrated his 100th birthday on April 3, 2026.

Learn More
Images from the life of Purdue astronaut Neil Armstrong

article | Experience

How Neil Armstrong ‘spawned lots of aerospace engineers’ with one giant leap

Only a few events are so important that all of humanity uses them to mark time.

Learn More
Dayle and Claire Alexander pose in front of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket

article | Experience

Identical twin alumnae help Blue Origin, New Glenn shoot for the stars

The thrill of the New Glenn launch was nothing new for sisters Dayle and Claire Alexander.

Learn More
Barbara Morgan in a NASA space suit.

article | Education

NASA astronauts and industry specialists prepare Purdue students

Mentors in the Leading Women Toward Space Careers program advise on lifelong success.

Learn More
Roha Gul, a graduate student in the Leading Women Toward Space Careers program.

article | Education

Purdue women’s space program establishes a confident community

Leading Women Toward Space Careers is the only college program of its kind.

Learn More