Loral O'Hara

Loral Ashley O'Hara was born on May 3, 1983, in Houston, Texas to Cindy and Steve O'Hara. She grew up in Sugar Land, Texas, where she attended Clements High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas in 2005, and a Master of Science in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in 2009. While she was a student, O'Hara participated in the KC-135 Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program.[1][2]

Prior to completing her Master of Science degree, O'Hara worked for Rocketplane Limited in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 2009, O'Hara began working at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She has participated in upgrades to the submersible DSV Alvin, and has worked as an engineer and data processor for the remotively-operated vehicle Jason.[1]

O'Hara has previously participated in the NASA Academy at Goddard Space Flight Center, and completed an internship at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In June 2017, she was selected as an astronaut candidate, and began training in August.[1][3] On Jan. 10, 2020, O’Hara graduated from NASA's astronaut candidate program to its astronaut corps, and is now eligible for spaceflight.

O'Hara is a private pilot, certified emergency medical technician, and a wilderness first responder. She enjoys traveling, whitewater rafting, surfing, diving, flying, sailing, skiing, hiking, caving, reading, and painting.[1]

In 2008, O'Hara was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.[4] In 2015, she was an invited speaker at TEDx New Bedford.[5]