Epps received both her M. S. and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, where she was part of the rotor-craft research group and was a NASA GSRP Fellow.

and Ph.D at the University of Maryland, Epps was awarded a NASA GRSP Fellowship and went on to publish many academic works which have been highly cited.

[13] Epps subsequently served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 18 undersea exploration mission for nine days starting on July 21, 2014.

"[18] The Washington Post stated that "Last-minute crew changes are not unusual at NASA,"[19] although Epps’ brother blamed racism for her removal.

[20][21] In 2019, Epps completed the ESA CAVES training program simulating the demands of exploring unknown terrains like those of the Moon and Mars.

[29]On August 25, 2020, NASA announced that Epps would join Starliner-1, the first operational mission of Boeing's Starliner to the ISS, which was delayed from its scheduled launch in the summer of 2021.

[39] They then spent a few extra weeks removing seating and other equipment in Endeavour that was needed for Boeing Crew Flight Test mission astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.

[40] Weather in the landing zones then caused further delays, but Epps and her crew mates finally splashed down off of the coast of Pensacola, Florida on October 25, 2024.

[41] The mission’s 235 days in low-Earth orbit set the single-mission record for the longest time an American crewed spacecraft spent in space.