Archive Person

Christopher Huie

Commercial Astronaut and Aerospace Engineer

🧑‍🚀

Astronaut

Spaceflight affiliation

Virgin Galactic

Christopher Huie, known as “Chuie,” is an astronaut, aerospace engineer, and speaker who specializes in interdisciplinary problem-solving and systems thinking. Currently, he is the Senior Manager of Spaceship Delta Program Support at Virgin Galactic, where he plays a critical role in ensuring the success of the next-generation Delta-class spaceships. His work spans process development, systems engineering & integration, and digital thread technologies, driving program execution and innovation. Since joining Virgin Galactic in 2016, Christopher has made substantial contributions to commercial human spaceflight. He led the Flight Sciences External Loads Engineering discipline for six years, working on nearly every component of Spaceship VSS Unity and Mothership VMS Eve to ensure structural integrity and mission success. His ability to tackle complex engineering challenges while fostering collaboration has distinguished him as a respected leader, catalyst, and mentor. On May 25th, 2023, Christopher flew as a Mission Specialist on Unity 25, Virgin Galactic’s final test flight, paving the way for Galactic’s first commercial mission, Galactic 01. A Jamaican American, he is among the first 650 humans to reach space and is only the 19th Black astronaut in history. Before joining Virgin Galactic, Christopher spent over 5 years at Bell Flight engineering on various rotorcraft programs, including the Bell V-280 Tiltrotor, and as a Simulation Engineer developing and certifying Flight Crew Training Simulators around the world. Originally from Orlando, FL, he holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), where he was a QUEST Honors Scholar, an Igor Sikorsky Scholar, and a National Science Foundation LSAMP Research Scholar. In 2022, Christopher was inducted into the inaugural class of the UMD’s Clark School of Engineering’s Early Career Distinguished Alumni Society, which recognizes alumni under 40 for their leadership, innovation, service, and entrepreneurship. Christopher currently serves on the Aerospace Board of Visitors, where he provides strategic guidance and industry insights to help shape the future of aerospace education and research at the Clark School. Christopher is passionate about mentorship and increasing diversity in aerospace. He was a key figure in Galactic Unite, Virgin Galactic’s outreach initiative, and co-founded the Black Leaders in Aerospace Scholarship and Training (BLAST) Program — a fellowship designed to increase the number of Black professionals in leadership positions within the Aerospace Industry. In 2021, he received Virgin Unite’s “Together We Can: Change” award for his work supporting underrepresented groups in STEM. Through these initiatives, Christopher has helped support and empower aspiring aerospace leaders. His work has left a lasting impact on the industry’s future talent pipeline. Outside of work, Christopher enjoys being a girl dad to his two daughters, reading, plant-based cooking, rock climbing, DJing, listening to music, watching Seinfeld reruns, exploring Star Trek, and scheming up audacious space business ideas.