Syracuse Sun

WASHINGTON — Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22) has expressed his admiration for astronaut Jeanette J. Epps, a Syracuse native, ahead of her upcoming mission to the International Space Station with SpaceX Crew-8. Epps, along with three other crew members, is set to conduct over 200 experiments focused on researching how the human body moves in space.

Dr. Epps, who hails from Syracuse and is a graduate of Corcoran High School and Le Moyne College, holds graduate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland. Prior to becoming an astronaut candidate in 2009, she gained professional experience at Ford and the CIA. Epps has previously served as a Crew Support Astronaut for two expeditions and as lead CAPCOM in mission control. For the upcoming mission, she will take on the role of a mission specialist for Crew-8.

In a statement, Congressman Williams shared insights from a preflight call with Dr. Epps, stating, "Dr. Epps was kind enough to explain some of the details of her upcoming mission to me during a preflight call last month. Her entire career is inspirational – she has demonstrated excellence across the very same fields that will propel humanity into the future and into the stars. She and her entire crew have my best wishes as Friday’s launch approaches."

The mission of Crew-8, scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, aims to contribute valuable research to further mankind's understanding of space and the effects of microgravity on the human body.