Thinking Outside the Sphere: Human Space Exploration in a Risky Environment

Dr. Dunbar, who began her career as an engineer building the space shuttle, flew on five missions, served as a NASA Executive leader, and now teaches about human space vehicle design and operations, discusses past achievements and the future in human space exploration, underscored by the safety lessons learned which helped to reshape institutional thinking.

Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar is a retired NASA astronaut, engineer, and educator, and currently the John and Bea Slattery Chair in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M. She leads the Aerospace Human Systems Laboratory, focusing on human space systems, partial-gravity research, and the development of a human-rated short-arm centrifuge for future Moon and Mars missions.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Dunbar joined Texas A&M through the Chancellor’s Research Initiative after serving as an M.D. Anderson Professor at the University of Houston, where she led major STEM programs and directed aerospace and space architecture graduate studies.

During her 27-year NASA career, she flew five Space Shuttle missions—logging more than 50 days in space—and later served in senior leadership roles, including deputy director for Flight Crew Operations and deputy associate administrator for Life and Microgravity Sciences.

Following NASA, Dr. Dunbar served as president and CEO of The Museum of Flight and remains active in aerospace consulting and STEM advocacy. She holds multiple degrees, ten honorary doctorates, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Royal Society of Aeronautics, and the American Ceramic Society.