Tracy Drain, NASA Aerospace Engineer (Photo: Ryan Lannom – NASA – JPL)
Story by Marcus Turner, Associate Executive Director for External Relations, Lone Tree Arts Center
Feature Image of Interstellar Body by John Landino
On Saturday, March 25, the City of Lone Tree and the Lone Tree Arts Center are proud to present a special presentation by NASA Aerospace Engineer, Tracy Drain. Drain is a Flight Systems Engineer working with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). An unabashed enthusiasm for science alongside an impressive list of projects make her a fascinating storyteller and remarkable woman in her field.
Finding Her Passion Among the Stars
A part of the National Geographic Live series, Drain’s presentation comes to Lone Tree during Women’s History Month – a time to commemorate the exceptional contributions that women have made to American society. In that spirit, Drain attributes her early interest in the field to the strong women in her life, particularly her mother. Drain witnessed her mother’s interest in airplanes and spacecraft, as well as her healthy love for “Star Trek” and “Star Wars,” encouraging her to explore and keep moving forward – a notion that has stayed with her throughout her career.
In addition to her mother, other influential women in her life include strong educational figures such as her ninth-grade math teacher, Mrs. Brown. Drain recalls one occasion of riding with Mrs. Brown to a math competition and seeing icicles freezing in an unusual pattern in the hills of her home state, Kentucky. When Drain mentioned “I’ve always wanted to break off one of those,” Mrs. Brown pulled the car over and let her explore the things that made her curious. Drain adds, “That was something that reminded me to take those opportunities and be an exploring person, because why not?”
A Resume that is Out of this World
Since joining the JPL, Drain has been an instrumental part of some of NASA’s prominent projects. She recalls her work on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launch as one of her favorite memories. As one of the “Aces,” Drain was one of the engineers who communicated with the Deep Space Network when sending commands to the spacecraft. Drain recalls the unforgettable feeling of being the in the control room and witnessing the countdown to liftoff of a mission that wouldn’t have been possible without her. Soon, she will be a part of the Psyche mission in which an orbiter will be launched to explore asteroids and comets throughout our solar system.
See Tracy Live on Saturday, March 25
The Lone Tree Arts Center is proud to host Tracy Drain and bring her playful attitude and infectious love for science to our community. Learn more about this event and purchase tickets here, or call the Arts Center Box Office at 720.509.1000.