JOAN E. HIGGINBOTHAM
NASA ASTRONAUT (FORMER)
August 3, 2964
She graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet HighSchool, Chicago, Illinois, in 1982; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in 1987, a Master of Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992, and a Master in Space Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1996.
PERSONAL DATA: Born in Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys body building (weightlifting),
cycling, music, motivational speaking.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago,
Illinois, in 1982; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in 1987, a Masters of Management from
Florida Institute of Technology in 1992, and a Masters in Space Systems from Florida
Institute of Technology in 1996.
ORGANIZATIONS: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Gulf Coast Apollo Chapter of
the Links, Inc., Association of Space Explorers (ASE), and Sickle Cell Association of the
Texas Gulf Coast, Board Member.
AWARDS: NASA Exceptional Service Medal; Keys to the Cities of Cocoa and
Rockledge, Florida; Group Achievement Award for STS-26 Return to Flight; Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Certificate of
Appreciation for Service; Commendation of Merit for Service to the Department of Defense (DOD) Missions; Presidential Sports
Award in bicycling and weight training; Outstanding Woman of the Year Award; Outstanding Performance 1992, 1993, 1995;
National Technical Association’s 50 Distinguished Scientists and Engineers; Florida Institute of Technology’s Distinguished
Alumni for 1997; Southern Illinois University’s Distinguished Alumni; Essence Magazine’s Top 50 Women of 2004; National
Technical Association’s 2007 Technical Achiever (Engineer); League of Black Women Black Rose Award Recipient 2007;
Women of Color in Technology Career Achievement Award Recipient 2007.
NASA EXPERIENCE: Joan Higginbotham began her career in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, as a Payload
Electrical Engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division. Within six months she became the lead for the
Orbiter Experiments (OEX) on OV-102, the Space Shuttle Columbia. She later worked on the Shuttle payload bay reconfiguration
for all Shuttle missions and conducted electrical compatibility tests for all payloads flown aboard the Shuttle. She was also tasked
by KSC management to undertake several special assignments where she served as the Executive Staff Assistant to the Director of
Shuttle Operations and Management, led a team of engineers in performing critical analysis for the Space Shuttle flow in support of
a simulation model tool, and worked on an interactive display detailing the Space Shuttle processing procedures at Spaceport USA
(Kennedy Space Center’s Visitors Center). Higginbotham then served as backup orbiter project engineer for OV-104, Space
Shuttle Atlantis, where she participated in the integration of the orbiter docking station (ODS) into the space shuttle used during
Shuttle/Mir docking missions. Two years later, she was promoted to lead orbiter project engineer for OV-102, Space Shuttle
Columbia. In this position, she held the technical lead government engineering position in the firing room where she supported and
managed the integration of vehicle testing and troubleshooting. She actively participated in 53 space shuttle launches during her
9-year tenure at Kennedy Space Center.
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in April 1996, Joan Higginbotham reported to the Johnson Space Center in August
- Since that time, she had been assigned technical duties in the Payloads & Habitability Branch, the Shuttle Avionics &
Integration Laboratory (SAIL), the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Operations (Ops) Support Branch, where she tested various
modules of the International Space Station for operability, compatibility, and functionality prior to launch, the Astronaut Office
CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) Branch in the startup and support of numerous space station missions and space shuttle
missions, the Robotics Branch, and Lead for the International Space Station Systems Crew Interfaces Section. Joan has logged
over 308 hours in space having completed her first mission with the crew of STS-116 where her primary task was to operate the
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS).
Joan Higginbotham was assigned to the STS-126 mission targeted for launch in September 2008. In November 2007, Joan
Higginbotham retired from NASA in order to pursue a career in the private sector
SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-116 Discovery (December 9-22, 2006). The seven-member crew on this 12-day mission
continued construction of the ISS outpost by adding the P5 spacer truss segment during the first of four spacewalks. The next two
spacewalks rewired the station’s power system, preparing it to support the addition of European and Japanese science modules by
future shuttle crews. The fourth spacewalk was added to allow the crew to coax and retract a stubborn solar panel to fold up
accordion-style into its box. Discovery also delivered a new crew member and more than two tons of equipment and supplies to the
station. Almost two tons of items no longer needed on the station returned to Earth with STS-116. The mission duration was 12 days,
20 hours and 45 minutes.
Awards:
In 2007, Higginbotham received the Adler Planetarium Women in Space Science Award.
Group Award for achievements related to the flight of the STS-26 (the first shuttle flight after the Challenger disaster
Commendation of Merit for Service to the Department of Defense Missions
The Mecklenburg Times (2014) 50 Most Influential Women
World Who’s Who of Women[citation needed]
Black Rose Award (2007) awarded by the (League of Black Women)
Honorary Doctor of Aerospace Science (2016) awarded by the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (2017) awarded by the University of New Orleans
Featured speaker at TEDx Bermuda2008 Featured in PBS special, “Bold Visions: Women in Science & Technology
Resource: NASA