Bobbi Waterman is a woman whose life journey has been as vast and inspiring as the galaxies she once helped explore. A former NASA engineer, she spent decades working on the Space Shuttle program, where she combined her lifelong fascination with rockets and exploration with an unshakable drive to contribute to humanity’s reach beyond Earth. Growing up during the Apollo era, Bobbi was captivated by the sight of humans walking on the Moon and dreamed of being part of that world of innovation and discovery. Her career eventually took her from Lockheed Space Operations to NASA itself, where she played a vital role in launching shuttles and supporting the intricate systems that powered them. After retiring, Bobbi’s journey turned inward. She embraced her true self and transitioned at the age of sixty, proving that it is never too late to live authentically. Her transition opened new dimensions of joy, confidence, and peace, culminating in her memoir The Woman Inside: From Outer Space to Inner Peace (2025), a heartfelt reflection on self-discovery, courage, and the universal search for belonging.
Now living in Australia with her supportive spouse, Bobbi continues to inspire through her writing, travel, and openness about her experience as a transgender woman. Bobbi’s story is not only one of professional achievement and personal transformation but also of adventure and reinvention. Following her transition, she and her spouse embarked on a nine-month world cruise that allowed her to see the planet with fresh eyes, embracing her womanhood in every new culture and destination they visited. From the icy wonder of Antarctica to the warmth of Mauritius and the charm of Portugal, each stop became a celebration of freedom and authenticity. Along the way, Bobbi shared her experiences with a growing online audience, offering wisdom, humor, and hope to others seeking the courage to live their truth. In this interview, Bobbi reflects on her time at NASA, her late-in-life transition, and the lessons she has learned about authenticity, love, and resilience among the stars and within herself.
Monika: Hello Bobbi! Thank you for accepting my invitation.
Bobbi: You are welcome, I am always happy to talk about my life and specifically my transition journey.
Monika: This is the first time I’ve had the chance to speak with someone who worked at NASA. Was joining NASA always a dream of yours, or did your career path lead you there in an unexpected way?
Bobbi: I have always wanted to work in the space program. I grew up during the era of the Apollo program and mankind's journey to another world. I also watched Star Trek growing up and always wanted to be Scotty and be the chief engineer on a spacecraft. When I graduated from college, my grades were not high enough to get into NASA directly, so I started my career with Lockheed Space Operations as an engineer working on the Space Shuttle Main Engine Avionics. After five years, I was able to prove myself to NASA, and they hired me as a civil servant, where I spent the remainder of my career.
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| Available via Amazon. |
Bobbi: I think that many people are drawn to the sense of exploration. I have always loved rockets and the excitement of a launch. I used to launch model rockets as a child growing up. As an adult, I spent 15 years launching Space Shuttles at the Main Engine Avionics console, and the excitement and thrill of the launch have never left me. I still, in retirement, love to watch rocket launches on YouTube, and when the engines start and the fire and smoke appear, my heart starts racing.
Monika: When you look back at your early years at NASA and compare them with your later years, how much did the work evolve and change over time?
Bobbi: In my younger days, when I worked on the Space Shuttle Main Engines, there was a lot of hands-on work, and troubleshooting failures was exciting. The rewards of solving a problem and saving a launch were electrifying. In later years, it was more about budget and schedules as well as managing people. At the end of my career, I was placed in the position of a technical assistant, where I provided the technical assessment but had no authority to make changes, which was really stressful.
Monika: You mention that your work gave you the opportunity to travel around the world. Do you have any favorite places that you would love to return to?
Bobbi: We had the opportunity to spend nine months on Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise. Some of our favorite places were, of course, Antarctica, which was truly magical. Other areas we are looking at returning to are Grenada in the Caribbean, Uruguay in South America, Mauritius off the coast of Africa, and Portugal.
Monika: You spent decades at NASA launching rockets. Was transitioning more like a controlled launch or a surprise liftoff?
Bobbi: For me, transitioning was something I thought about for many years. Each time I got close, I convinced myself that I was too old to transition. This included being in my 40s and 50s, when I considered that I was too old. When I actually transitioned, I was 60.
Monika: Your book The Woman Inside: From Outer Space to Inner Peace (2025) feels like a very personal milestone. Would you describe it as a kind of final stamp on your transition?
Bobbi: Writing a book about your life, for me, was very therapeutic. A close examination of my life allowed me to realize that I should have transitioned many years earlier. In fact, if I had known any trans women back in my 20s or 30s, I probably would have had the courage to transition myself. While traveling around the world, I picked up a lot of followers on TikTok, and many people said I should write a book about my life. That all came together when we got home from the cruise and I had time to write it.
Monika: Are there particular themes or topics in your book that you feel will especially resonate with other transgender women?
Bobbi: I spent some time in the book talking about how hard it was to perform sexually as a male. Even though that was my anatomy and what society told me I was, I was only able to perform if I could convince myself I was female. It was really hard to keep that mental image and perform the male function. As I explored my life, I came to the realization that there is biological hardware and software in the brain. When those two things match, all is good; otherwise, you have to change one or the other. I also want people to come away with the understanding that you are never too old to live your life as your authentic self.
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| "I am glad that we are free to express ourselves as we are." |
Monika: When you came out, did your mother embrace you as her daughter? And do you feel any connection to her in the way you look, carry yourself, or even in your style and mannerisms?
Bobbi: Both of my parents had passed away before I transitioned. Even though I have bits of both of my parents in me, there are definitely parts of my mom that I can see in myself, even more so now that I am living as a woman.
Monika: Do you remember the first time you met a transgender woman in person? What was that experience like, and how did it make you feel?
Bobbi: The first person I had heard was a transgender woman was a former co-worker. When a project I was on got cancelled, they moved away. I tried to find them to talk about their experiences. I desperately wanted to learn more from other trans women, but there were none I knew. I really think if I had known trans women and been able to talk to them, I would have transitioned much earlier in my life.
Monika: I finally felt free after my transition. How about you? Was there a single moment, or maybe a series of moments, where you truly felt like you had stepped into your most authentic self?
Bobbi: Transitioning has been the single best thing I have ever done for myself. I have had a smile on my face just about every day since coming out publicly. Traveling in India, where men and women are segregated, and going through security with all the other women, while much slower than the male lines, was very affirming, being just another woman. Also, in the Taj Mahal, a number of Indian women, all dressed in their traditional outfits, wanted to get a picture with me.
Monika: Many transgender women have a variety of experiences with hormone therapy. Looking back, how do you feel about the physical and emotional effects it’s had on you?
Bobbi: I tell people that of all the drugs I have done in my life, estrogen is my favorite. So far, it is doing some of its job in growing my breasts. I still have a way to go for my liking. I also need to get my testosterone down, and I am not opposed to an orchiectomy. Eventually, I will get a minimal-depth vulvoplasty, possibly if the book sells well enough.
Monika: The journey to being our true selves often comes with a heavy price, losing friends, family, and sometimes even our jobs. What was the hardest part of coming out for you, and how did you navigate it?
Bobbi: Most of my family supported my transition, with the exception of my sister’s son, who was a college football player and hung out with the toxic masculinity crowd. I was living in Florida in the US, though I spent most of my time post-transition traveling the world. When Donald Trump was elected the second time, we realized that it was not going to be safe for trans people in the US. We made plans to move to Australia, as my spouse is Australian.
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| "Most of my family supported my transition." |
Bobbi: I don’t think seeing one on TV was the aha moment for me. For me, the thing that reaffirmed my journey was reading other trans women's blogs and their stories of transition, which helped me realize that I should transition. However, I convinced myself I was too old.
Monika: Many of us feel the pressure to “pass” as women, and even after surgeries, society keeps judging us. How do you personally deal with the outside world’s expectations?
Bobbi: I tend to dress in skirts and dresses more than cis women, I think. I also often wear lipstick to help people with gender identification. I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup because I am lazy. I will often wear eye makeup. Also, when I first transitioned, I would wear silicone “helpers” under my bra. Now, after being on estrogen for a year, I have stopped using the helpers and just wear push-up type bras to accentuate my breasts. I really do not like wearing pants, though living in Victoria, Australia, this winter, I have had to bite the bullet and wear them.
Monika: What are your thoughts on the current situation for transgender women in your country?
Bobbi: I am waiting for my permanent resident status in Australia. Australia is a very welcoming and inclusive place for transgender people, at least in Victoria, where I have experience. I have only had one issue since I arrived in February, and it was a shop that would not do electrolysis on trans women. Everyone else has really been lovely. Looking back at the United States, it is truly disgusting what is happening over there. Every day, we are constantly reaffirmed that we made the right choice to sell everything and escape from our life in Florida to move to Australia.
Monika: I remember the time right after my transition, it was pure euphoria. My closet is still full of dresses and shoes that I literally bought by the dozens back then, and I must have tried on hundreds. I felt like I had to make up for all those years that were taken from me. Did you feel the same way?
Bobbi: I transitioned publicly six months before I left on a nine-month cruise around the world. I had spent two years preparing to go as someone presenting male. All of a sudden, I had to get a whole new wardrobe. I didn’t know what my style was or what my look would be. I bought a whole bunch of different outfits and was given outfits by my spouse and daughter. I also bought clothes as we traveled around the planet. I now feel like I know who I am and what I like. I still have way too many clothes, and my spouse jokingly complains that I take up most of the wardrobe.
Monika: How would you describe your personal style? Do you follow any specific fashion trends, or do you have go-to outfits that make you feel confident?
Bobbi: I prefer dresses or tops with skirts. I tend to like more booby outfits, as I am really happy with how I look with boobs, and they make me feel good. I like tops that cross over in the chest area. I recently spent $600 on new outfits at the store Taking Shape because I had a $20 coupon. I am told that it is girl math.
Monika: By the way, do you like being complimented on your looks? Do you find it easy to accept compliments, or do you struggle with believing them?
Bobbi: I love to be complimented on my looks. I always took a lot of selfies, even before transitioning. However, since transitioning, the number of selfies has increased by a factor of ten. I feel like I finally love how I look and am making up for lost time.
Monika: Did you ever feel pressure to meet a certain ideal of femininity, like I did by trying to look like the women around me?
Bobbi: When I first transitioned, I tried a lot harder to be the image of femininity that you see online. My spouse told me, remember your age. You should not compare yourself at 60 to women in their 30s. You should compare yourself to other women in their 50s or 60s. This helped me tremendously and allowed me to be comfortable with myself and who I am as a woman.
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| "I transitioned publicly six months before I left on a nine-month cruise around the world." |
Bobbi: The thing that worried me the most when I first transitioned was using the women's restroom. However, I have never had an actual issue in my life using the women's room. I have had many people give me negative comments online, but in person, I have never had an issue.
Monika: How has love shaped your life and your journey as a transgender woman? Could you share what role love plays in your personal growth and happiness?
Bobbi: My spouse is non-binary, assigned female at birth, and I have such a good connection with them. I can tell them anything. The ability for me to tell them my most inner secrets allowed me to get comfortable talking to them about me transitioning. They and all of my immediate family have been supportive since day one. I am a lesbian and feel a deep connection with them. I am glad that we are free to express ourselves as we are, as a trans woman and non-binary couple living life together as best friends as well as lovers.
Monika: Finally, what’s next for Bobbi? What dreams and goals are you working toward now?
Bobbi: Releasing my life story The Woman Inside: From Outer Space to Inner Peace on October 18th on Amazon was a huge hurdle to get through. I am working on narrating the audiobook to be released shortly after, which is also a lot of work and something new for me. Afterwards, I am waiting for my permanent resident visa to be approved and eventual gender-affirming surgery. Once we get through all of that, then continuing my love of travel and meeting people as I live out my life as the woman I have become.
Monika: Bobbi, thank you so much for sharing your journey and insights.
Bobbi: It has been a pleasure to share my story with you, though it may be cliché. If there are other aspects people are interested in, I would encourage everyone to read or listen to the book.
All the photos: courtesy of Bobbi Waterman.
© 2025 - Monika Kowalska
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