Meet US female cyclist chosen by Nasa from 12,000 people

Chris Birch, USA track cyclist, was selected out of more than 12,000 applicants to become part of Nasa’s astronaut class of 2021.

This happened shortly after when she stepped away from her former career.

With degrees in mathematics, biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and a doctorate in biological engineering; Birch had an extensive science background and her Nasa achievement was an unusual one.

“I love realistic space movies … I’m definitely a nerd,” reads Chris Birch’s answer on her profile page.

The more convinced she became that she had a future in spaceflight, the further she progressed with her Nasa application.

“I really just had a blast,” Birch tells CNN Sport. “It didn’t feel like an interview at all, it didn’t feel like a test. It was just super fun. And it felt like fun and games for me.”

As of now, it has been close to two and a half years since Birch joined Nasa. During that time, she has practised for space walks, learned to fly T-38 training jets.

“I think there’s something really powerful about being surrounded by a group of people that are all trying deliberately to not walk the path most trodden,” says Birch.

“We’re all looking to push the envelope in some way, and that has always been my driving mantra. The whole reason I pursued a PhD is I wanted to discover something, to build something that had never been done before," she adds.