Astronaut Cady Coleman

Dr. Cady Coleman is a former NASA Astronaut and Air Force Colonel with more than 180 days in space, accumulated during two space shuttle missions and a six-month expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), where she acted as the Lead Robotics and Lead Science officer.

Dr. Coleman is a vocal advocate for inclusion in STEM/STEAM fields and a sought after speaker on a wide range of topics. She recently co-anchored ABC News Live’s coverage of the SpaceX launch and the Mars Perseverance rover landing. Other speaking highlights include the opening speech for TED 2011 from space, extensive NASA commentary for CNN, ABC and Fox, addressing the UN for World Ocean Day and TED Unplugged 2019. Cady is also a co-host for the new Slate/Arizona State University podcast called Mission: Interplanetary, which looks at the big questions, challenges, opportunities and mysteries we face as we seek to build positive futures on Earth and beyond.

Currently a research affiliate at the MIT Media Lab and Global Explorer in Residence at Arizona State University, Coleman consults on space-related work, including microgravity research. She serves on several boards, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Greenfield Community College.

Cady lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband Josh Simpson, a glass artist, and their two sons. She is an amateur flute player, known for her “Space Duet” with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and her work from space with the acclaimed Irish band, The Chieftains.  She coached actress Sandra Bullock from the ISS in preparation for Bullock’s astronaut role in “Gravity.”