You’ve probably seen the headlines or maybe a viral TikTok about a legendary pilot landing a crippled plane. Or perhaps you’ve heard whispers about a Southwest captain who swapped the "heart" logo for a NASA meatball. Honestly, the connection between Southwest Airlines and the astronaut corps is one of those things that feels like an urban legend until you actually look at the crew manifests.
It’s not just a coincidence.
The path from a commercial cockpit to the International Space Station (ISS) is a narrow one, but a few incredible women have navigated it. When people search for "female astronaut Southwest Airlines," they’re usually looking for one of three things: a specific hero pilot, a former astronaut who now flies commercial, or the new 2026 class of candidates.
Let's clear the air. There is no single "Southwest Astronaut" in the way some clickbait articles suggest. Instead, there’s a small, elite group of women who have blurred the lines between the stratosphere and the thermosphere.
The Pilot Everyone Thinks is an Astronaut (But Isn't)
If you’re here because you saw a video of a woman landing a plane with one engine in Philadelphia, you’re thinking of Tammie Jo Shults.
Basically, she’s a legend. Shults was one of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy. She flew F/A-18 Hornets back when women weren't even allowed in combat roles. In 2018, she safely landed Southwest Flight 1380 after an uncontained engine failure.
Is she an astronaut? No.
But her nerves of steel are exactly what NASA looks for. In fact, many people confuse her with astronauts because her training—naval aviation, high-stress decision-making, and heavy metal flight hours—is identical to the "Astronaut Candidate" (AsCan) profile. She has often spoken alongside astronauts, and her husband, Dean, is also a pilot. They’re basically the first family of the "Right Stuff" in the commercial world.
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The Real "Southwest" Connection: James Dutton and the 2025/2026 Shift
While the focus is often on female pilots, the most direct "Southwest to Space" link actually came through James Dutton. He was a NASA pilot on STS-131 before retiring to fly for Southwest.
But here is where it gets interesting for 2026.
NASA just announced the 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class (Group 24), and the demographics are shifting. For decades, the pipeline was: Military -> NASA -> Airline. Now, it’s becoming more of a loop.
Look at Rebecca "Becky" Lawler. She was selected in late 2025 and reported for duty in September. While she’s officially a United Airlines pilot, her selection has sparked a massive conversation within the Southwest pilot lounges. Why? Because the "airline to orbit" path is suddenly wide open.
Lawler's resume is the new blueprint:
- 2,800 flight hours.
- Naval Test Pilot School graduate.
- Experience in "hurricane hunting" with NOAA.
- Current commercial airline captain.
If you’re looking for the future female astronaut from Southwest Airlines, she’s likely currently sitting in a 737 cockpit right now, probably flying a Dallas-to-Denver leg, waiting for the 2027 application window.
Why Southwest Pilots Make Great Astronauts
It sounds kinda simple, right? You fly a plane, you can fly a spacecraft.
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Not exactly.
The reason Southwest specifically comes up in these searches is due to the airline's culture of "hand-flying." Unlike some international carriers that rely heavily on automation, Southwest pilots are known for being very "active" in the cockpit.
NASA loves this.
When you’re docking a Dragon capsule or piloting the Orion around the Moon, you can’t just hit "auto." You need a pilot who can feel the machine.
The "Mercury 13" Legacy
We can't talk about female astronauts and commercial aviation without mentioning Wally Funk.
She was never a Southwest pilot, but she represents the struggle every woman in that cockpit has faced. She was part of the Mercury 13—women who passed the same tests as the original seven astronauts but were barred because of their gender.
Funk spent decades as a flight instructor and investigator. She finally made it to space in 2021 with Blue Origin at age 82. Her story is the reason why women like Anna Menon (a 2025 NASA candidate) and Nichole Ayers (Crew-10 pilot) have a seat at the table today.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Transition
People think NASA just picks the best pilots.
They don't.
They pick the best teammates who happen to be pilots. If you’re a Southwest captain, you’re used to quick turnarounds, dealing with unruly passengers, and managing a crew of flight attendants and co-pilots in a high-pressure environment.
That "crew resource management" is exactly what happens on the ISS.
Actionable Insights for Aspiring Aviators
If you’re a young woman looking at the Southwest-to-NASA path, or just someone fascinated by the journey, here’s how the landscape looks in 2026:
- The Degree Matters More Than the Wings: You need a Master’s degree in a STEM field. Flying for an airline is great, but NASA won't look at you without the technical depth.
- Test Pilot School is the Golden Ticket: Almost every female pilot selected for the moon missions (Artemis) or the ISS has "TPS" on their resume.
- Diversify Your Hours: Don’t just fly the 737. NASA wants to see that you can handle different airframes—helicopters, gliders, and high-performance jets.
- Watch the 2025/2026 Candidates: Keep an eye on Erin Overcash and Katherine Spies. They are currently in training at Johnson Space Center. Their progress will define the next decade of female leadership in space.
The "female astronaut Southwest Airlines" story isn't about one person. It’s about a massive cultural shift where the women who fly us to our vacations are the same people qualified to fly us to Mars.
The gap between the tarmac and the stars is getting smaller every day.
Keep an eye on the NASA Class of 2025/2026 graduation in late 2027. That’s when the next round of assignments for the Gateway station will happen, and you can bet a few former airline pilots will be on that list.