COSHOCTON − Keirsten Ashcraft dreamed of becoming an astronaut after attending space camp as a fifth-grader. While she won’t be launched into space, she’s working on critical components to make the nation’s return to the moon possible for the first time in more than 50 years.
The 2012 graduate of River View High School is the structures manager for the AxEMU spacesuit portable life support system at Axiom Space in Houston, Texas.
The suits are slated to be used by astronauts of Artemis IV when they land on the moon, scheduled for early 2028. Artemis II recently did a manned flyby of the moon, the first crewed flight beyond low earth orbit since 1972.
“It’s something I worked toward for a long time, getting specialized and building my resume,” Keirsten said. “I’m incredibly proud to be working on what comes next in human space exploration and to be part of the team helping make it happen.”
The daughter of Aaron and Tara Ashcraft started with Axiom in May 2024. She previously worked as a chemist for American Electric Power and Southwestern Electric Power Company and as an engineering laboratory manager for Raytheon Technologies. She has a degree in biochemistry and chemistry from Youngstown State University.
Making a space dream a reality
Keirsten manages a team of engineers creating the formal life support system, or what they call the backpack, for the spacesuit that will allow astronauts to breath and be mobile outside the vehicle on the moon. There are about 50 people working on the project.
It was recently announced Axiom is looking to have a suit it can test in low-earth orbit or at the international space station within a year. From there it would be continuing construction and modification for the Artemis IV flight.
“It’s pretty critical in the overall scheme of the spacesuit. Obviously, it’s a huge team effort and we all need each other. We remind each other we’re a team and we can do this. Space is hard, but we work harder,” Keirsten said with a slight laugh.
Their work is largely an innovative approach since the work on previous spacesuits decades ago is largely outdated, and she likes that.
“We can utilize some of that previous experience, but a lot of it is finding new ways with new technology,” she said of previous spacesuit technology. “It’s exciting to make your mark as an individual and a team. We get to do something really cool. Everyone’s work is super cool, but we get to do something not everyone gets to do. We’re getting the world excited about space.”
Growing up in Warsaw
Although her work is far removed from Warsaw and requires technical skills rarely learned in a rural community, Keirsten knows the foundation of her career was laid in Warsaw.
She’s always been goal oriented and her parents always pressed upon her that she can do anything while instilling a love for learning.
“Looking back now, I kind of laugh. Before, I didn’t know any different, that’s just how I was raised. ‘Hey, if you want something, you have to work hard. You can do anything, you can learn anything, just keep working toward it and never give up,'” Ashcraft said of what she took from her parents. “You just have to have perseverance and grit and you can literally do anything.”
Her parents said they’re proud of their daughter who has found her way into the history books.
“She has always strived for more and better for herself in every part of her life from a very young age,” her mother Tara said. “As her parents we have always instilled in Keirsten, along with her sister and brother, to do the hard stuff, work hard in every aspect of your life. If you fail or make a mistake, you learn from it and move on.”
And they are not surprised where Keirsten is, despite starting out as pre-med student in college.
“She has always loved space and loved learning more and more about it, along with pretty much everything in life. As a young child she was continuously asking questions and seeking answers to why or how,” Tara shared.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 18 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: River View grad helps design spacesuits for NASA’s Artemis missions
Reporting by Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune / Coshocton Tribune
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