Meet A Rocket Woman: Dr. Ryan Watkins, Research Scientist, Planetary Science Institute & Consultant, Blue Origin

In her own words, Dr Ryan Watkins has never let anyone tell her to dream smaller. As a Research Scientist, Consultant to Blue Origin’s Blue Moon program and an advocate for mothers in science, she is an inspiration to the next generation and a leading figure in working to get humans back to the Moon. Ryan talked to Rocket Women about her trailblazing journey to lunar exploration and how she overcame the challenges that she faced along the way.

How were you inspired to consider a career in science? 

My story can be summed up with, “Every little kid wants to be an astronaut when they grow up, but I never outgrew that desire.” I can’t remember the exact moment I knew I wanted to pursue a career in science. I grew up thinking I would find the cure for cancer, or
something significant in a scientific field. I do remember when I decided I wanted to become an astronaut. For no particular

reason, I absolutely fell in love with space and space exploration during my 8^th grade science class. My (female) teacher probably had something to do with it – I thought she was so intelligent, fun, beautiful, and she made learning so interesting. So, I decided during that class that astronaut was my chosen career path.

I went to space camp the following 2 summers, then began researching what career path I needed to take to become an astronaut. I

decided to focus on physics – partly because I didn’t want to be an engineer (I like engineers, in fact, I’m married to one!), and partly because I didn’t want to join the military. I chose classes in high school that were focused on math and physics, and spent a lot of time learning what skills were needed to be qualified for the astronaut corps.

I absolutely fell in love with space and space exploration during my 8th grade science class. My (female) teacher probably had something to do with it – I thought she was so intelligent, fun, beautiful, and she made learning so interesting. So, I decided during that class that astronaut was my chosen career path.

Fast forward a bit, I graduated with a double major in Physics and Space Science from the Florida Institute of Technology in
2010. While there, I did two internships at Kennedy Space Center, where I worked on lunar soil. From there, I decided I wanted to pursue planetary science in graduate school.

The summer before moving to St. Louis to start grad school, I interned at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. I was part of a student collaboration project on the proposed MoonRise sample return mission. MoonRise was one of 3 missions competing for NASA funding at the time, and if selected, it would have returned samples from the far side of the Moon. I worked with 15 other students
to design an instrument that would have flown on the mission. 

Unfortunately MoonRise was not selected, but that summer helped me realize how much I was interested in participating in future robotic and manned missions to the Moon.

 

And that’s where I am today – actively doing lunar science and working to get humans back to the Moon!

 

 

 

Was there anything unexpected about your career journey that you thought would be different?

 

There have definitely been challenges along the way as I have journeyed down the path to where I am today. I have had people laugh at my goals and outright tell me to change my dreams.

 

Shortly after I made the decision that I wanted to be an astronaut, I began to get made fun of in high school. Almost everyone thought my dream to work at NASA and become an astronaut was silly. I was laughed at to the point that I dreaded being asked what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” I had ~800 students in my graduating class, and I was one of 2 students who were going out of state for college. 

 

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with staying in state for school, but there was a general mindset among many of my classmates that leaving the local area wasn’t an option. I went to school with many intelligent, great people, but it just wasn’t common to leave. But I knew that in order to pursue my dream, I had to go out of state to a school that offered a great physics program. I graduated near the top of my class, and was awarded a scholarship that was only good for schools in South Carolina, unless the degree you were pursuing was not offered in state. 

 

I had decided to major in physics and space science, and space sciences was not offered anywhere in SC. So, my dad told the scholarship committee that I had to go out of state in order to get the degree I wanted. The scholarship committee came back and told him that I needed to change my major. My dad told them I wasn’t going to change my major because this was my dream, so they told him to tell me to change my dream.

 

Luckily I had a great support system and was able to persevere despite people telling me I couldn’t or shouldn’t pursue my goals. I also thought I would become an astronomer or physicist, but after having two amazing internships at Kennedy Space Center working on the Constellation program and studying the Moon, I knew I wanted to become a planetary scientist instead. I never went searching for the Moon, the Moon found me. And I’m so glad it did!

Congratulations on becoming a member of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Science Advisory Board. It sounds like an incredibly exciting opportunity! Could you tell us more about your role within the advisory board and how your significant expertise helps to shape future lunar missions?

 

      Thanks! My role, like the other Board members, is to give feedback to Blue Origin’s team on lander design, payload accommodations,
landing site selection, dust mitigation, and other relevant topics. The role started out with advising them on their Blue Moon lander project, and now we are working with them as they design a Human Lander System for the Artemis program.

 

My expertise is mainly on understanding the effects of rocket exhaust on the lunar surface, and on analyzing landing site hazards. So my main contributions are in regards to mitigating dust hazards for future missions, as well as selecting landing sites that are both scientifically valuable and that are safe for spacecraft.

 

 

Role models are incredibly important to young women. They need to see that people like them can – and do – do anything. It’s important for young girls to see that women scientists exist and do amazing things. They need people not only to look up to, but who can reach out and mentor them and provide them with the resources and knowledge they need to succeed as they pursue their career path of interest. STEM is not just for men, or for white people – it’s for everyone, and it needs to be made accessible to everyone.

Who were your role models when you were growing up? How important are role models to young women?

 

I don’t remember having a lot of role models, honestly. In college, there were often only one or two girls in my physics and space science classes. There was only one female professor in both my undergrad physics department and in the EPS department at Washington University.

I did look up to my 8^th grade science teacher, probably because it was during her class that I fell in love with space. And Neil Armstrong was always my inspiration. I found his bravery and humility inspiring. I always wanted – and still do – to be the first woman on the Moon, so it felt natural to look to Neil as inspiration.

 

Role models are incredibly important to young women. They need to see that people like them can – and do – do anything. It’s important for young girls to see that women scientists exist and do amazing things. They need people not only to look up to, but who can reach out and mentor them and provide them with the resources and knowledge they need to succeed as they pursue their career path of interest. STEM is not just for men, or for white people – it’s for everyone, and it needs to be made accessible to everyone.