234: Through These Doors - Andrea Hanson

Casual Space

Have you ever wondered how a college freshman ends up in the Space Camp Hall of Fame? In this limited-release series, join your hosts Beth Mund, Chris Key, and Joshua Whitfield as they welcome special guest Andrea Hanson.

Andrea shares her incredible journey from being introduced to Space Camp in college to becoming a Space Camp Hall of Famer. She spills the secrets of her time as a crew trainer and how it launched her career in the aerospace industry.

Andrea’s passion for space and her dedication to inspiring the next generation shine through as she talks about the importance of teamwork, the intense training, and the life-changing impact Space Camp had on her. Plus, she gives us a peek into her current work at the Johnson Space Center with the human landing system and her mission to keep astronauts healthy and safe.

Join us for an out-of-this-world conversation, and get ready to be inspired by Andrea’s stellar journey!

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About: Andrea M. Hanson, PhD Lake Park, Minnesota BS, University of North Dakota MS, University of Colorado PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder

To say that former ADVANCED SPACE ACADEMY® crew trainer, Andrea Hanson, has been persistent in pursuing her interest in Science and Engineering may be the greatest of understatements. Although Dr. Hanson’s enthusiasm for Space Life Science began during her freshman year at college, she credits her time spent as an instructor at SPACE CAMP as the launch pad for her research career in that field. Following an internship with Boeing Satellite Systems, Dr. Hanson worked as a graduate student with BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado. It was here that she realized the dream of so many trainees, when five years of research culminated in a space shuttle experiment that flew aboard STS-118 in August of 2007. Today, Dr. Hanson continues her relentless pursuit as a post-doctoral research scientist and engineer in the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle. Her primary efforts are focused on developing technology to monitor musculoskeletal health in astronauts during long-duration space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Dr. Hanson is a walking testament to what is produced at the fantastic intersection of drive, determination and passion and is a role model for anyone with a dream.