Sarah Elizabeth McCandless

Sarah Elizabeth McCandless works as a navigation engineer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her job involves tracking the location and predicting the future trajectory of spacecraft, including the Mars Perseverance rover and Europa Clipper. She was selected for NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog mission in 2024 and served as an “analog astronaut”, simulating a 45-day mission to Mars.

McCandless earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in French from the University of Kansas. She also obtained a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Originally from Fairway, Kansas, she remains an avid fan of sports teams from her alma mater and hometown. She is active in STEM outreach and education and enjoys camping, running, traveling, and piloting Cessna 172s. As a member of the Junior League of Pasadena, she has loved meeting talented women motivated to make a difference in their community.

website@jlpasadena.org