Jason Williamson never thought he would go to space.
Along with four other astronauts and Purdue alumni, Williamson will embark on an all-Boilermaker space mission in 2027 through a partnership with Virgin Galactic.
Williamson, a 1993 Madison Heights High School graduate, said several emotions ran through him when he received the news.
“When I reflect on that moment, it was very surreal for me that they thought enough of me and what I’ve done in my life and career that I would represent them well,” Williamson said Friday. “It was an honor, but I also take it as a responsibility.
“It’s incumbent upon me to give back to all those that have served me over my childhood, my professional career, going through college with Purdue.”
Williamson visited Anderson Intermediate School to share his experiences with a group of sixth graders taught by his sister, Melissa Hoppes.
As a senior in high school, Williamson attended space camp and was able to meet others who shared his passion and curiosity about space. Now that he will be making the journey to space, Williamson sees it as a full circle moment.
During the upcoming mission, two members of the crew — a Purdue professor and a graduate student — will conduct human-tended research, meaning they will observe how fluids interact in microgravity. The other three members will have wearable devices strapped to their bodies which will monitor the fluids.
The Delta spaceships are currently being built in Arizona, with test flights scheduled for next year.
Williamson said he is not nervous for the flight.
“I think part of that is, over the last two years, I’ve really gotten to know the engineers, the designers, the leadership team at Virgin Galactic,” he said. “I’ve seen what they do and how they run things. A lot of the Virgin Galactic employees are former NASA employees. I have all the trust in the world that they are doing what they need to do.”
Williamson said he wanted to encourage his sister’s students to dream big and act on their dreams.
“I think the overall message for the students is, it’s OK to dream and it’s even better to pursue it,” Williamson said. “Don’t let other people talk you out of it. Don’t let people say you can’t do it.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.