Zena Cardman


Zena Maria Cardman is an American microbiologist and NASA astronaut.

Early life and education

Cardman was born on October 26, 1987, in Urbana, Illinois to Helen and Larry Cardman. Her family moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, where she attended Bruton High School. Cardman attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with minors in Creative Writing and Marine Sciences, and a Masters of Science in Marine Sciences. As an undergraduate and graduate student, Cardman participated in microbial research in hydrothermal vents, the Arctic, and the Gulf of Mexico. She also participated in the Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research Network in Antarctica and the Pavilion Lake Research Project in British Columbia. Cardman was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at The Pennsylvania State University when she was selected as an astronaut candidate in 2017.

NASA career

Prior to her astronaut candidacy, Cardman participated in the NASA analog missions Pavilion Lake Research Project and BASALT, working with exobiologist Darlene Lim. In June 2017, she was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 22, and began her two-year training at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Personal life

Her hobbies include canoeing, caving, and glider flying.

Awards and honors

Cardman has received numerous academic awards, including a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium Fellowship, and a NASA Ames Honor Award for her work in the Pavilion Lake Research Project.