Andrew Abercromby
Andrew Abercromby | |
|---|---|
| Born | Andrew Frank Jorgensen Abercromby May 12, 1980 Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Biomedical engineer, scientist |
| Years active | 2000s–present |
| Known for | Development and evaluation of spacesuit technologies and exercise countermeasures; aquanaut on NASA NEEMO 14 mission |
| Notable work | Director of Human Physiology, Performance, Protection & Operations (H-3PO) Laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center |
Andrew Frank Jorgensen Abercromby (born 12 May 1980) is a biomedical engineer and scientist from Scotland, focusing on the development and evaluation of spacesuit technologies and exercise countermeasures aimed at supporting human exploration throughout the Solar System. He directs the Human Physiology, Performance, Protection & Operations (H-3PO) Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center located in Houston, Texas. As an aquanaut, Abercromby took part in NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations 14 (NEEMO 14). He has accumulated more than fifteen years of expertise working within the Human Health and Performance and Engineering Directorates at Johnson Space Center. Abercromby is married and has two daughters.
Education
Growing up in a coastal fishing community in Scotland, Abercromby engaged in football, rugby, and cricket before his fascination with space exploration emerged at age 17. While a student at Buckhaven High School in Fife, he was selected to attend an International Space School hosted at NASA’s Johnson Space Center by astronaut Chris Hadfield. This opportunity significantly shaped his professional ambitions.
Since aerospace engineering was not offered in Scotland, Abercromby pursued mechanical engineering at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned an MEng degree in 2002 and received the Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ award for best graduate student. He also completed pilot training with the Royal Air Force reserves prior to joining NASA. In 2006, he obtained a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Houston and was subsequently honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by its Department of Health and Human Performance in 2007.
NASA career
Abercromby served as a biomedical engineer and deputy project manager on the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) initiative, contributing to the design and testing phases of new spacecraft intended for human space missions. Additionally, he supported NASA’s EVA Physiology, Systems and Performance project focused on enhancing spacesuit safety and functionality. His work extended into several other facilities including the Neurosciences Laboratory, Anthropometry and Biomechanics Facility, and Flight Mechanics Laboratory.
He engaged in NASA analogue missions conducted in Arizona as well as the Haughton–Mars Project in Canada’s High Arctic. His experience also includes research aboard reduced-gravity aircraft and participation in the Pavilion Lake Research Project in British Columbia. In May 2010, Abercromby earned aquanaut status during NEEMO 14, an underwater mission led by Chris Hadfield. He fulfilled mission support duties for Desert RATS 2010 and NEEMO 15; during NEEMO 16, he acted as In-Water Test Director while piloting a DeepWorker submersible.
In 2013, he joined the Tawani International Antarctic Expedition as a field engineer and research diver, conducting explorations of ice-covered lakes using scuba diving techniques and remotely operated vehicles.
Currently, Abercromby heads the Human Physiology, Performance, Protection & Operations (H-3PO) Laboratory within NASA’s Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division at Johnson Space Center.
External links
- 1980 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the University of Edinburgh College of Science and Engineering
- Aquanauts
- British biomedical engineers
- NASA people
- People educated at Buckhaven High School
- Engineers from Dundee
- Scottish underwater divers
- University of Houston alumni
- British expatriates in the United States
- British bioengineers