Erin Edwards CD MSc
Captain, CH146 Pilot
NASA Astronaut Office Deputy Crew Ops O, Canadian Astronaut Coordination Officer, ISS CAPCOM Instructor, TH57 Project Pilot
Royal Canadian Air Force | Canadian Space Agency | NASA
Captain Erin Edwards
NASA Deputy Branch Chief for Crew Operations, NASA TH-57 Project Pilot
(RCAF Dir Air and Space PAO approved for publication)
Capt Erin Edwards was born in Port Moody, British Columbia. Following high school she completed a diploma in Mining Engineering Technology from the British Columbia Institute of Technology and worked for five years in the geological exploration sector in Northern Canada and Alaska as a technical project manager in remote camps. During this time she enrolled in the Naval Reserves in 2010 as a Maritime Surface (MARS) Officer as a member of HMCS DISCOVERY in Vancouver, BC. She completed her Ship’s Team Diving Officer qualification in 2012, and MARS IV training in 2013, shortly after which she transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Pilot.
Capt Edwards, who has held a private pilot’s licence since 2002, completed an Aviation Sciences degree with Seneca College as a second lieutenant, earned her military wings in 2016, and was then posted to 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron in Petawawa, Ontario to fly the CH146 Griffon helicopter. She completed the Special Operations Tactical Aviation Course (SOTAC) selection in 2019. During her posting, Capt Edwards participated in operational deployments as a pilot and flight safety officer. She deployed to Iraq in 2020 and 2021, flying the CH146 Griffon, amassing over 300 combat hours earning her the General Campaign Star – Expedition (GCS-EXP) medal with bar for her overseas service with CANSOFCOM.
While a line pilot at 427 SOAS, she also served as a Flight Safety Officer, the Standards and Training Flight Operations Officer, and created the Space Liaison Officer position all while completing a Masters in Space Science from the University of North Dakota.
In 2023, Capt Edwards was selected amongst a competitive field of military applicants and posted to the Johnson Space Centre in 3 Canadian Space Division’s billet as the first-ever Canadian Astronaut Coordination Officer. Following the completion of NASA’s Space Flight Controller Academy, she was quickly appointed as NASA’s Deputy Branch Chief for Crew Operations, the first time a non-astronaut has held this senior position. She and her small staff are responsible for the approximately 40 astronauts currently not assigned to a specific mission while also providing direct support to the Canadian corps of astronauts in Houston.
Capt Edwards is also qualified as an International Space Station Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) and instructor, the critical voice link between the astronauts aboard the International Space Station and the technical control team on the ground in mission control. Her qualification marks the first time a non-astronaut Canadian has held this vital position. Recently, Capt Edwards was the lead CAPCOM for the Northrup Grumman 23 cargo mission which used the Canadarm2 to capture the vehicle. As of January 2026, Capt Edwards moved to the Aircraft Operations Division to the TH57 Project Pilot position to integrate helicopters into NASA flight training to support a pivot to lunar missions. For her immense efforts in creating the helicopter training program vital for lunar analog training to mitigate risks to astronauts as they return to the Moon, Capt Edwards received the Stephen D. Thorne “Top Fox” Award from NASA.
In the little spare time she has, Capt Edwards reminds herself that she is human by playing and refereeing rugby, climbing, diving, or reading a good book with coffee. She is married to someone equally as active, and they are both currently enjoying the challenges of raising a teenager!