Dallas SWE is recognizing Little Elm native Becky Lawler as an honorary October Member of the Month! NASA announced the selection of Lawler to join its 2025 astronaut candidate class. Lawler reported for duty in September 2025 to begin two years of intensive astronaut training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Lawler brings a wealth of experience in military, civilian, and research aviation, having logged over 2,800 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft. Her journey to NASA began in Lewisville, Texas, where she was born, and continued through Little Elm High School, which she proudly calls her alma mater.
Following high school, Lawler earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She later completed advanced degrees in space systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University and flight test engineering from the National Test Pilot School. She also holds a graduate certificate in engineering program management from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Lawler served 11 years in the U.S. Navy as a P-3C Orion pilot, deploying twice to the U.S. Sixth Fleet and accumulating over 300 hours of combat flight time. She later became a developmental test pilot with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20 (VX-20), flying a range of aircraft including the MQ-4C Triton and P-8A Poseidon. In 2019, she was promoted to lieutenant commander and selected as aide to the Commander of Naval Air Systems Command.
In 2020, Lawler transferred to the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, where she served as a hurricane hunter and test pilot. During the 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons, she flew 32 hurricane eyewall penetrations and 11 tropical storm penetrations aboard WP-3D Orion and DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. She continued supporting NOAA missions through 2022.
Lawler’s civilian aviation career includes serving as a flight test captain for United Airlines, flying Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft as well as the Airbus A320 series. She also contributed to NASA’s Operation IceBridge in 2019, flying research missions over Greenland, and led scientific instrument testing aboard NOAA and NASA aircraft in 2022. Beyond her professional achievements, Lawler is married with one child and enjoys running, painting, reading, and spending time with her family. She proudly considers Little Elm, Texas, her hometown.
NASA’s astronaut candidates undergo rigorous training in spacewalking, robotics, spacecraft systems, and Russian language, preparing them for future missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, and beyond! For more information about Becky, check out her profile at https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-candidate-rebecca-becky-lawler/
