Growing up in Jamestown, New York, Laurie Abadie had many opportunities to see the clear night sky. “I distinctly remember when I was seven years old going outside with my parents one night to see the stars,” she recalls. “The view was amazing. I looked up and wondered what was out there.”
This question took root in Abadie’s mind, beginning a life-long passion for human space exploration. She currently serves as an aerospace engineer for the Human Research Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There, she strategizes how to best use future missions to the Moon under Artemis to help humans safely travel to Mars.
“I stay cognizant of the latest spacecraft designs, operations, and mission plans for Artemis, and then work with NASA’s researchers to develop plans to reduce risks to astronauts,” she explains. Abadie also focuses on how the space agency can partner with other countries interested in doing similar human research.
“It’s fascinating to learn how the human body and mind adapt to spaceflight,” she says. “I love being part of a team that is pushing the boundaries of space exploration through the shared human experience. And I love the excitement and determination of all the people involved across the world.”
Abadie holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a master’s degree in space and planetary sciences from the University of Arkansas, and a master’s degree in space operations from the University of Colorado. She’s been at Johnson for 20 years.
Keeping pace with the momentum of the Artemis program is challenging but invigorating, Abadie notes. “Artemis is all about trailblazing, and it’s exciting to work on that frontier.”
