Cady Coleman
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
Former NASA Astronaut and Air Force Colonel Cady Coleman is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions and a six-month expedition aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
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Full Bio
Former NASA Astronaut and Air Force Colonel Cady Coleman is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions and a six-month expedition aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Onstage, Coleman draws from her time at NASA and in extreme “remote work” situations to discuss team building, leadership, and innovation. With her extraordinary photos and videos, Coleman delivers a captivating account of life in space and the importance of diversity, inclusion, and collaboration in accomplishing ambitious goals.
With 180 days in space accumulated during three missions, Dr. Coleman acted as the Lead Robotics and Lead Science officer aboard the ISS, performing the second-ever robotic capture of a supply ship from the station. On the ground at NASA, Cady served in a variety of roles within the Astronaut Office, including Chief of Robotics, lead for tile repair efforts after the Columbia accident, and lead astronaut for integration with NASA’s commercial partners SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Northrup Grumman for supply ships. Her work paved the way for commercial spaceflight collaborations that are now commonplace. Before retiring from NASA, she led open-innovation and public-private partnership efforts for the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters. As a volunteer test subject for the centrifuge program at the Armstrong Aeromedical Lab, Dr. Coleman set several human endurance/tolerance records while performing physiological and new equipment studies.
Dr. Coleman is a vocal advocate for inclusion in STEM/STEAM fields and a sought-after speaker on a wide range of topics. She is a frequent contributor to ABC News for their Special Reports on current space topics and most recently co-anchored the Netflix/TIME livestream of SpaceX’s Inspiration 4 launch. 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.
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, Greenfield Community College, Dent the Future, and Skycatch, an innovative A.I. company that provides 3D mapping data for timely decision-making. She is an advisor to Earthrise Alliance, which uses satellite imagery to provide context for environmental and social justice issues.
An amateur flute player, she is best known for her “Space Duet” with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and her work from space with the acclaimed Irish band, The Chieftains. While on the ISS, she coached actress Sandra Bullock in preparation for Bullock’s astronaut role in the movie “Gravity.” Cady earned a B.S. in chemistry from MIT in 1983 and a Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts in 1991. Coleman is a pioneer in the research of materials science, biotechnology, combustion science, and fluid physics. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, she was selected as an astronaut in 1992 and flew her first mission in 1995.
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Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!
LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!
MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!
SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!
CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!
PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
TEAMWORK: YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR CREW
A SENSE OF MISSION: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM SPACE
GOING TO EXTREMES: CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SPACE AND EARTH
Videos
What it's like to live on the International Space Station | Cady Coleman
Flight Engineer Cady Coleman Gives Station Tour
News
Testimonials
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