✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Kayla Barron

Kayla Barron biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Kayla Barron Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth19 September 1987

Age33 Years

BirthplacePocatello, Idaho, United States

ProfessionSubmarine warfare officer USS Maine (SSBN 741); NASA Astronaut

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusMarried

SpouseTom Barron

FamilyParents: Scott Sax and Lauri Sax; Sisters: Stephanie Rothenberg and Megan Swarner

Kayla Barron Biography

Kayla Jane Barron is an American naval officer and NASA astronaut who transitioned from serving as a submarine warfare officer aboard USS Maine to joining

Early life and background

Kayla Jane Barron was born on September 19, 1987, in Pocatello, Idaho, and grew up in Richland, Washington. She graduated from Richland High School in 2006. Barron comes from a family with two sisters and is the daughter of Scott and Lauri Sax.

Education

Barron attended the United States Naval Academy, earning a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering in 2010. She went on to study at the University of Cambridge, where she completed a master’s degree in nuclear engineering as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Her graduate research involved modeling the fuel cycle for a next‑generation thorium‑fueled reactor concept.

Career

After commissioning as a Navy officer in 2010, Barron completed the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power and submarine officer training. She served as a division officer aboard USS Maine (an Ohio‑class ballistic missile submarine) and was part of the first class of women assigned to the submarine community. While on board Maine she qualified as a submarine warfare officer, earned her Submarine Warfare Insignia, and completed three strategic deterrent patrols.

During her naval career she received honors including the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal, and was recognized as a Trident Scholar and distinguished graduate. Her naval experience and an encounter with astronaut Kathryn P. Hire helped Barron see the connections between submarine service and living and working in space.

NASA

Barron applied to NASA and was selected as a member of the 2017 astronaut candidate class. She joined NASA in August 2017 at age 29, after serving as Flag Aide to the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. She was chosen from a competitive applicant pool and completed the two‑year astronaut training program at Johnson Space Center, where training included Russian language study and spacewalk preparation.

Her training emphasized the necessity of being a generalist capable of a wide range of tasks; Barron has described astronauts as needing to be "jack‑of‑all‑trades" because small crews must cover many responsibilities. During her time as an astronaut candidate she worked with teams designing spacesuits for NASA’s Artemis program and prepared for her first spaceflight assignment.

Public profile

Barron is married to Tom Barron, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer. She maintains an active outdoors lifestyle and lists hobbies such as hiking, backpacking, running, and reading. Physically, she is approximately 1.79 meters (5'9") tall with light blue eyes and light brown hair.

Awards and recognition

Her awards include the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and recognition as a Trident Scholar and distinguished graduate. She also earned the Submarine Warfare Insignia (Dolphins) during her naval service.

Latest updates

Barron was named to NASA’s astronaut corps in 2017 and participated in training tied to the Artemis lunar program. She was reported to be working with teams developing spacesuits for Artemis and was preparing for her first mission as a NASA astronaut. Human exploration efforts discussed in association with her training include plans for lunar missions in the Artemis program and longer‑term objectives such as human missions to Mars.

Personal perspective

Barron has spoken about how looking up at the moon can make the idea of walking on its surface feel both distant and very real. She has described the physical and mental demands of working in spacesuits and training for spacewalks, and she has emphasized the broad skill set astronauts must cultivate to operate in constrained spacecraft environments.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Kayla Barron, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
◈

Recent Work

Selection to NASA Astronaut Candidate Class

Selected to NASA's 2017 astronaut candidate class and completed two years of training at Johnson Space Center; worked with teams designing spacesuits for the Artemis lunar program.

2017
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer after graduating the United States Naval Academy (2010)
  2. Served as a submarine warfare officer aboard USS Maine and completed three strategic deterrent patrols
  3. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017 and completed astronaut candidate training
  4. Worked on spacesuit design efforts for NASA’s Artemis program
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Kayla Barron born?

Kayla Barron was born on 19 September 1987.

What is Kayla Barron known for?

Kayla Barron is known for submarine warfare officer USS Maine (SSBN 741); NASA Astronaut.

What is Kayla Barron’s marital status?

Kayla Barron's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Kayla Barron married to?

Kayla Barron is publicly listed as married to Tom Barron.