Janet L. Kavandi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janet Kavandi
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| Born | July 17, 1959 Carthage, Missouri, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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33d 20h 8m |
| Selection | NASA Group 15 (1994) |
| Missions | STS-91 STS-99 STS-104 |
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Mission insignia
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Thesis | Luminescene Imaging for Aerodynamic Pressure Measurements (1990) |
Janet Lynn Kavandi, born in Carthage, Missouri, on July 17, 1959, is an American scientist and a NASA astronaut. She flew on three Space Shuttle missions. She also held important leadership roles at NASA, including being the deputy chief of the Astronaut Office and leading the NASA Glenn Research Center. She retired from NASA in September 2019. In 2019, she was honored by being added to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Today, she is the president of Sierra Space.
Contents
Janet Kavandi's Early Life and Education
Janet Kavandi graduated as the top student from Carthage Senior High School in 1977. She then went on to earn several college degrees. She received her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Missouri Southern State University in 1980. Later, she earned her master's degree from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1982. Finally, she completed her doctorate from the University of Washington in 1990.
Janet Kavandi's Career Before NASA
After finishing her master's degree in 1982, Janet Kavandi started working at Eagle-Picher Industries. There, she was an engineer developing new batteries for defense uses. In 1984, she joined Boeing Defense, Space & Security in Seattle, Washington. At Boeing, she was a lead engineer for power systems on various projects.
She worked on important missile programs like the Short Range Attack Missile II. She also helped design batteries for other projects, including Sea Lance. Her work also supported studies for the Space Station, Lunar and Mars Bases, and other space vehicles. While working at Boeing, she also studied for her doctorate. Her research involved creating a special paint that could show pressure on surfaces in wind tunnels. This work led to two patents.
Janet Kavandi's NASA Journey
NASA chose Janet Kavandi to become an astronaut in December 1994. She began her training at the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. After a year of training, she helped prepare payloads for the International Space Station.
First Space Mission: STS-91
Kavandi's first space mission was STS-91, which flew from June 2 to June 12, 1998. This was the ninth and final mission where the Space Shuttle docked with the Russian Mir space station. This mission completed a joint program between the U.S. and Russia. After this flight, she worked as a CAPCOM, which means she communicated with astronauts from Mission Control.
Second Space Mission: STS-99
Her second mission was STS-99, from February 11 to February 22, 2000. This mission, called the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, mapped over 47 million miles of Earth's land. The data collected helped create a very accurate 3D map of our planet.
Third Space Mission: STS-104
Kavandi then worked in the Robotics Branch, learning to operate robotic arms for both the Space Shuttle and the Space Station. Her most recent mission was STS-104, from July 12 to July 24, 2001. This was the tenth mission to the International Space Station. The crew installed a special airlock called "Quest" and worked with the Expedition 2 crew. Although Kavandi trained for spacewalks, she did not perform one on this mission.
Leadership Roles at NASA
After her last mission, Kavandi took on more leadership roles. She led the Payloads and Habitability Branch. Then, she became the chief of the International Space Station (ISS) branch. In these roles, she was in charge of training astronauts, ensuring their safety, and managing the equipment and software for the ISS. She also oversaw the scientific experiments done by crews in space.
In 2005, Kavandi became the deputy chief of the Astronaut Office. She held this position until February 2008. After that, she became the deputy director and then the director of flight crew operations at the Johnson Space Center.
Janet Kavandi is a veteran of three space flights. She spent over 33 days in space, traveling more than 13.1 million miles. She orbited Earth 535 times. In March 2016, she became the center director at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She retired from NASA in September 2019.
Awards and Special Honors
Janet Kavandi has received many awards and honors throughout her career:
- National Honor Society, 1977
- Valedictorian of Carthage Senior High School, 1977
- Presidential Scholarship from Missouri Southern State University, 1977
- Graduated magna cum laude from Missouri Southern State University, 1980
- Certificates for Team Excellence and Performance Excellence from Boeing Missile Systems, 1991
- NASA Space Flight Medals
- NASA Exceptional Service Medals, 2001 and 2002
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, 2006
- United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, 2019
See also
In Spanish: Janet L. Kavandi para niños
