Kathryn C. Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathryn Thornton
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| Born | August 17, 1952 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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40d 15h 14m |
| Selection | NASA Group 10 (1984) |
| Missions | STS-33 STS-49 STS-61 STS-73 |
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Mission insignia
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Kathryn Ryan Cordell Thornton (born August 17, 1952) is an amazing American scientist and a former NASA astronaut. She spent over 975 hours in space, which is more than 40 days! A big part of that time, about 21 hours, was spent on spacewalks.
After her time as an astronaut, she became a professor at the University of Virginia. She taught mechanical and aerospace engineering. In 2010, Kathryn Thornton was honored by being added to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Contents
Becoming an Astronaut
Early Life and School
Kathryn Thornton grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. She finished high school there in 1970. She loved learning about science!
She went to Auburn University and earned a degree in physics in 1974. Physics is the study of how the universe works. Later, she continued her studies at the University of Virginia. She earned two more degrees in physics there, one in 1977 and another in 1979.
Starting Her Career
After finishing her studies, Kathryn Thornton received a special award. This award allowed her to do research in Germany. She worked at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics.
In 1980, she became a physicist for the United States Army. She worked in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Adventures in Space
Joining NASA
Kathryn Thornton was chosen by NASA to become an astronaut in May 1984. She officially became an astronaut in July 1985. She helped test flight software for the Space Shuttle. She also worked as a CAPCOM. A CAPCOM is the person who talks to the astronauts in space from Earth.
Kathryn Thornton flew on four different space missions. These missions were STS-33, STS-49, STS-61, and STS-73. She spent a total of over 975 hours in space. This included more than 21 hours of spacewalks!
First Space Flight: STS-33
Her first trip to space was on STS-33. She launched at night on November 22, 1989. She was aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. This mission carried important equipment for the U.S. government.
The mission lasted five days. After orbiting Earth 79 times, the shuttle landed on November 27, 1989. It landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Second Space Flight: STS-49
Kathryn Thornton's second flight was on STS-49. This mission was special because it was the first flight of the new Space Shuttle Endeavour. The mission took place from May 7 to May 16, 1992.
During this flight, the crew did four spacewalks. This was a record at the time! They worked to fix a satellite called Intelsat. Kathryn Thornton also helped test ways to build the Space Station Freedom. The mission lasted 213 hours and orbited Earth 141 times.
Third Space Flight: STS-61
Her third flight was on STS-61. This mission was very important. It was a repair mission for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The Space Shuttle Endeavour launched at night on December 2, 1993.
During the 11-day flight, the astronauts captured the Hubble Telescope. They performed five spacewalks to fix it. Kathryn Thornton was one of the astronauts who did a spacewalk. Thanks to their work, the Hubble Telescope was fully repaired! The shuttle landed on December 13, 1993.
Fourth Space Flight: STS-73
From October 20 to November 5, 1995, Kathryn Thornton flew on STS-73. She was aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. On this mission, she was in charge of the science experiments.
The mission focused on many scientific studies. These included how materials behave in space and how fluids work. She orbited Earth 256 times on this flight. She traveled over 6 million miles! This mission added 15 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes to her time in space.
After NASA
Kathryn Thornton left NASA on August 1, 1996. She was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010.
Life Outside Space
Kathryn Thornton is married to Stephen T. Thornton. They have two stepsons and three daughters. When she's not working, she enjoys skiing and scuba diving. In 2019, she completed a long hike on the Appalachian Trail.
See also
In Spanish: Kathryn C. Thornton para niños
