Kathryn D. Sullivan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathryn Sullivan
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born |
Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan
October 3, 1951 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
|
| Awards |
|
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, USN |
|
Time in space
|
22d 4h 49m |
| Selection | NASA Group 8 (1978) |
|
Total EVAs
|
1 |
|
Total EVA time
|
3h 29m |
| Missions | STS-41-G STS-31 STS-45 |
|
Mission insignia
|
   |
|
|
| In office March 1, 2013 – January 20, 2017 Acting: March 1, 2013 – March 6, 2014 |
|
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jane Lubchenco |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Friedman (acting) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields |
|
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | The Structure and Evolution of the Newfoundland Basin, Offshore Eastern Canada (1978) |
| Doctoral advisor | Michael John Keen |
Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan (born October 3, 1951) is an American geologist and oceanographer. She is also a former NASA astronaut and a US Navy officer. She flew on three Space Shuttle missions, making her a true explorer of both space and the deep sea.
Kathryn Sullivan was part of NASA Astronaut Group 8, the first group to include women. She was one of six women chosen out of 35 astronaut candidates. During her training, she became the first woman to wear a United States Air Force pressure suit. She also set an unofficial altitude record for women in aviation.
On her first space mission, STS-41-G, Sullivan made history by performing the first extra-vehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, by an American woman. Later, on STS-31, she helped launch the famous Hubble Space Telescope. Her third mission, STS-45, focused on studying Earth's atmosphere.
After her time at NASA, Sullivan became the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This agency studies oceans and the atmosphere. In 2020, she achieved another amazing feat: she became the first woman to dive into the Challenger Deep. This is the deepest known part of Earth's oceans.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on October 3, 1951. Her family moved to California in 1958. Her father worked in the aerospace industry. Interestingly, Sally Ride, another famous astronaut, was in her first-grade class. However, neither of them remembered meeting each other back then. Kathryn was also a girl scout during her school years.
She graduated from William Howard Taft High School in Los Angeles in 1969. She initially planned a career in foreign service. She chose to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) for its Russian studies program. However, she discovered a love for science after taking classes in marine biology and oceanography.
She spent a year as an exchange student in Norway. This experience helped her decide to major in oceanography. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Earth Sciences from UCSC in 1973. In 1978, she received her Doctor of Philosophy in geology from Dalhousie University in Canada. Her studies involved exploring the floors of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
NASA Career as an Astronaut
Becoming an Astronaut
In 1976, Kathryn's brother, an aerospace engineer, told her that NASA was looking for new astronauts. They were especially interested in recruiting women for the first time. Kathryn saw an ad in a science journal and decided to apply. She thought the Space Shuttle was like a research vessel, similar to the submersibles she dreamed of using to explore the ocean.
She was invited to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) for interviews and physical exams. She was the only woman in her group of finalists. On January 16, 1978, NASA announced that she was selected as one of the 35 new astronauts. This group, NASA Astronaut Group 8, was the first to include women.
On August 31, 1979, Sullivan and her classmates officially became astronauts. They were now ready for space missions. Sullivan helped create checklists for the early Space Shuttle flights. She also worked on NASA's High Altitude Research Project. On July 1, 1979, she set an unofficial American aviation altitude record for women. She flew a WB-57F reconnaissance aircraft at 19,000 metres (63,000 ft).
For the first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, Sullivan helped with media support. She also flew in a chase plane for the STS-2 mission. Her job was to photograph the Space Shuttle tiles to check for damage. She then joined the support crew at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the next four Space Shuttle missions.
STS-41-G: First American Woman Spacewalker
In 1983, Sullivan joined a group that developed payloads for future missions. She was assigned to the Orbital Refueling System (ORS) project. This project aimed to show that the Space Shuttle could refuel a satellite in orbit. This would help extend the satellite's life. In September 1983, she was officially assigned to this mission, called STS-41-G.
Sally Ride was also on this mission, making it the first time two women were in space together. The mission launched on October 5, 1984, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. On October 11, 1984, Kathryn Sullivan made history. She performed the first extra-vehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, by an American woman.
With fellow astronaut David Leestma, she spent 3.5 hours outside the Shuttle. They used the ORS to show that a satellite could be refueled in space. They installed a valve and transferred 59 kilograms (130 lb) of hydrazine to a practice satellite. This proved the procedure could work.
During the eight-day mission, the crew also launched a satellite to study Earth's radiation. They conducted many scientific experiments. The mission completed 132 orbits of Earth before landing on October 13, 1984.
STS-31: Deploying the Hubble Space Telescope
In 1985, Sullivan was assigned to the STS-61-J mission. This mission was planned to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The original plan was to bring the HST back to Earth for maintenance. However, NASA decided it would be safer and cheaper to maintain it in orbit.
Sullivan worked with other astronauts and engineers. They made sure that as many parts of the HST as possible could be replaced or fixed in space. This was important for the telescope's long life. The STS-61-J mission was canceled after the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. But the crew continued to work on the HST's maintenance plans.
Sullivan also served as a capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for later Space Shuttle missions. This meant she was the main contact between Mission Control and the astronauts in space.
_Sullivan_dons_EMU_in_Discovery%27s_airlock.jpg)
In March 1989, Sullivan returned to working on the HST mission, now called STS-31. The mission launched on April 24, 1990, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. During this five-day mission, the crew successfully deployed the HST. They also did experiments on protein growth and the effects of weightlessness.
The HST was deployed on the second day using Discovery's robotic arm, the Canadarm. The Shuttle's cabin pressure was lowered in case a spacewalk was needed to help deploy the Hubble's solar panels. Sullivan and another astronaut even put on their space suits. However, engineers on Earth were able to deploy the panels remotely, so the spacewalk wasn't needed. Discovery landed on April 29, 1990.
STS-45: Studying Planet Earth
Sullivan was the Payload Commander for STS-45. This was the first Spacelab mission dedicated to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The mission launched on March 24, 1992, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
During this nine-day mission, the crew operated twelve experiments. These experiments studied the composition of Earth's middle atmosphere. They also measured the ozone layer. This mission was part of a series of flights to understand how the Sun's activity affects our planet. The mission also carried an Oscar statuette into space for a special presentation. Atlantis landed on April 2, 1992.
Sullivan left NASA in 1993. She had flown on three Space Shuttle missions and spent 532 hours in space.
Military Career
In 1985, Sullivan became a geology professor at Rice University. She met a US Navy oceanographer and decided to join the US Naval Reserve (USNR). In 1988, she became an officer in the USNR with the rank of lieutenant commander.
In 1990, she commanded a special unit of oceanographers and meteorologists. This unit provided support to the Navy's weather and oceanography center in Guam. She retired from the USNR as a captain in 2006.
Civilian Career
NOAA Chief Scientist
While still at NASA, Sullivan was asked to become the chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She was confirmed for the role on May 28, 1993. As NOAA's chief scientist, she oversaw research on important topics like climate change, oceanography using satellites, and marine biodiversity.
Leadership Roles in Science
From 1996 to 2006, Sullivan was the president and CEO of COSI Columbus. This is an interactive science center in Columbus, Ohio. She then became a director at Ohio State University for science education policy. In 2004, President George W. Bush appointed her as vice chair of the National Science Board.
_DVIDS723487.jpg)
In 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Sullivan to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce. She was confirmed and appointed as Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation and Prediction. She also became Deputy Administrator for NOAA. In 2013, she became the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting NOAA Administrator. She was confirmed for these roles in 2014 and served until January 20, 2017.
.jpg)
Post-NOAA and Deep Sea Exploration
After leaving NOAA, Sullivan became the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum. She researched the Hubble Space Telescope during this time. Her book, Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut's Story of Invention, was released in 2019. It tells her story of helping to launch and maintain the Hubble.
In June 2020, Sullivan made history again. She traveled on an expedition to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. This made her the first woman and eighth person to reach the deepest known point in Earth's oceans. She is also the first person to have traveled both to Challenger Deep and into space! In September 2021, President Joe Biden appointed her to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Awards and Recognition
Kathryn Sullivan has received many awards for her amazing achievements. These include:
- The NASA Space Flight Medal (three times)
- The NASA Exceptional Service Medal (twice)
- The NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
She also received the Gold Medal of the Society of Woman Geographers in 1993. In 1994, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. The Adler Planetarium gave her the Women in Space Science Award in 2004.
.jpg)
In 2014, Sullivan was named to the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people. John Glenn, another famous astronaut, praised her. He wrote that she was not just a scientist but also an explorer who helped humanity look outward with Hubble. He also noted her work in looking homeward to understand Earth's environmental challenges.
She has received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Willamette University and Brown University. In 2015, she gave a lecture at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. She talked about her life of exploration and how NOAA helps us understand environmental issues.
Sullivan was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2004. She was also elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2016 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017. In 2020, she was named an Honorary Geographer by the American Association of Geographers. She was also included in the BBC's 100 Women list. In September 2023, Sullivan was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of female astronauts
- List of people who descended to Challenger Deep
