As a senior astronautical engineer at NASA, Irma Aracely Quispe Neira (widely known as Aracely Quispe) has made several noteworthy contributions to space and flight operations on behalf of that agency. Her accomplishments to date include becoming the first woman of Latin American descent to help oversee and lead three separate NASA missions. These major initiatives have been the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM); the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST); and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
Quispe was born on August 18, 1982, in the community of Marripón in northern Peru’s province of Lambayeque. When she was only six years old, she first developed an interest in space exploration after watching a recording of the TV coverage of the Apollo 11 mission and Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the Moon.
Quispe graduated from the César Vallejo University in the Peruvian city of Trujillo in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering. She subsequently moved to the United States to further pursue her education and ambitions there. In 2010, Quispe received associate of science degrees in both air & space operations technology and electrical & electronica engineering from Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland. That same year, she also earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace, aeronautical & astronautical engineering from Capitol Technology University (CapTechU) in Laurel, Maryland. She went on to earn a master’s degree in astronautical engineering from CapTechU in 2013.
In an interview that she did as a part of a “Meet Our Alumni” series posted on CapTechU’s website, Quispe discussed her career at NASA. She highlighted her role in the development of the JSWT, which is the largest telescope in space. JSWT — launched in 2021 — was equipped with high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments so that it can be used to view objects too distant or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. “I dedicated five years to the pre-launch stage of this project, conducting tests and frequently traveling to NASA’s Space Center in Houston,” recalled Quispe.
Even in the midst of her various professional achievements at NASA, Quispe has found time to continue her studies. She earned her doctorate in aerospace, aeronautical & astronomical/space engineering from CapTechU in 2020, for example, and received a master’s degree in geospatial intelligence from the University of Maryland the following year.
Quispe is also a staunch advocate for young women in both Latin America (including her native Peru) and the United States to pursue studies and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). She has stated, “[It] gives me a sense of contributing to a legacy, inspiring students who harbor dreams and ambitions like mine and diligently strive for success in their careers. It is incredibly motivating to know that I can play a role in their journey, serving as a conduit of knowledge through my experiences gained at NASA.” Quispe has also said,
“If any student is aspiring to a career in spacecraft engineering or satellite operations, excelling in your STEM subjects is essential — consider them your launchpad.”
Photo Credit: ZooeyMrs (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
For more information on Aracely Quispe, please check out https://www.captechu.edu/alumni-and-giving/meet-our-alumni/dr-irma-aracely-quispe-neira and https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S1iyMzgzqwIslnpVHg8DgCTuTDmA81XkbTMLJjZiBzo/edit#heading=h.eaudrcoifzh0
Transportation History 
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