Dr. Gretchen Green is a physician, educator, and commercial astronaut who flew to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard in 2025.
She made history as the first woman physician commercial astronaut, and is one of just over 100 women in history to have traveled to space. Green’s journey began in childhood with extensive travel and a motivating experience at Space Camp in 1986, which sparked a lifelong passion for exploration. She later returned as a Crew Trainer, chaired the Space Camp Alumni Association, and currently serves on the Board of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation.
At 16, Green cycled across the United States to raise awareness for world hunger, an early act of service that foreshadowed her commitment to combining purpose with adventure. She pursued a career in medicine, becoming a radiologist specializing in women’s imaging, and spent over two decades interpreting diagnostic studies and guiding patients and physicians through critical health decisions.
Green’s path to space exemplifies the emerging diversity in commercial spaceflight. As a member of Blue Origin’s NS-32 Pathfinders crew, she represents a new era of astronauts—leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs who bring nontraditional skill sets to the space frontier. Her training and flight experience continue to inform her work as a mentor and coach for aspiring explorers and physician entrepreneurs.
She has also traveled to remote environments, including a journey to the North Pole in 2022, using Earth’s most extreme landscapes as preparation for space. Today, she helps others navigate their own journeys through coaching, speaking, and advocacy, showing that while the route to space may be unconventional, the destination remains possible for all who dare to dream.