Launched into love: Astrophysicist’s dreams come true at Goddard Flight Center
The 10-day Artemis II mission is capturing the imagination of people around the world and inspiring the next generation of space travelers.
For many future astronauts and scientists, April 1, 2026, will stand out as the day Artemis II launched and changed what felt possible.
That feeling is one C. Alex Young knows well. Young is the associate director for science in the Heliophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
“I went to my fourth-grade teacher and told her I wanted to be an astrophysicist,” Young said. “I’m a solar astrophysicist.”
Young traces his interest in science back to the original Star Trek series. “It was Mr. Spock,” Young said. That fandom later came full circle. Young said he met Adam Nimoy, the son of Leonard Nimoy, and spoke with him during an event at the National Air and Space Museum in 2018.
Like many space-curious kids, Young had his first telescope at a young age. He also wrote letters to NASA asking for information about Saturn, Jupiter and the Space Shuttle — materials he still keeps.
“Now I’m actually part of the people that makes that stuff and gives that stuff to everyone,” Young said. One of the most meaningful parts of his work, he said, is getting to share science beyond the labs of NASA.
“I can share it with other members of the public, and especially the kids,” Young said.
Young’s passion for space and science has shaped more than just his career. Seventeen years ago, he met his wife, Linda Schenk, at a Goddard Space Flight Center event honoring Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
“We talked Stargate, we talked just nerdy stuff,” Young said.
Asked whether their household leans more Star Trek or Star Wars, the couple said they enjoy both.
“For our wedding cake topper, I used the figurine for Princess Leia and the white dress,” Schenk explained.
“I was Jean-Luc Picard,” Young said.
Today, the two continue sharing their enthusiasm for astronomy and science outreach through The Sun Today, which helps explain solar activity to the public.
When asked what he would tell his 10-year-old self, Young paused and smiled. “You’re going to actually make it, you’re going to get there,” he said.