Marsha Ivins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marsha Ivins
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Ivins in 1996
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| Born |
Marsha Sue Ivins
April 15, 1951 |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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55d 21h 48m |
| Selection | NASA Group 10 (1984) |
| Missions | STS-32 STS-46 STS-62 STS-81 STS-98 |
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Mission insignia
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Marsha Sue Ivins is an amazing American astronaut who flew into space five times! She was born on April 15, 1951. She is now retired, but her space adventures are still inspiring. She spent over 55 days orbiting Earth on her missions.
Contents
Becoming an Astronaut: Marsha Ivins' Journey
Marsha Ivins was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She finished high school in Pennsylvania in 1969. Later, she earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1973. This degree helped her learn how to design and build spacecraft.
After college, Marsha started working for NASA at the Johnson Space Center. She helped design the controls and displays for the Space Shuttle. In 1980, she became a flight engineer and a co-pilot for NASA's planes. Her hard work paid off! In 1984, Marsha Ivins was chosen to become an astronaut.
She flew on five exciting space missions:
Marsha Ivins retired from NASA on December 31, 2010.
Marsha Ivins' Space Missions
Marsha Ivins had many incredible experiences in space. Each mission helped us learn more about Earth and space.
STS-32: Deploying a Satellite and Retrieving LDEF
Her first mission was STS-32 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. It launched on January 9, 1990. This eleven-day flight had two main goals. The crew successfully launched a Syncom satellite. They also brought back the 21,400-pound Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). This LDEF had been in space for a long time, collecting data.
The mission lasted over 261 hours. Columbia orbited Earth 173 times, traveling 4.5 million miles. It landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
STS-46: Testing New Space Technology
STS-46 was an eight-day mission in 1992. Marsha flew on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The crew deployed the EURECA satellite. They also tested the first Tethered Satellite System (TSS). This system involved a satellite attached to the Shuttle by a long cable.
The mission lasted over 191 hours. Atlantis completed 126 orbits of Earth. It traveled 3.35 million miles before landing back at the Kennedy Space Center.
STS-62: Studying Microgravity in Space
In 1994, Marsha flew on STS-62 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. This was a longer mission, lasting 14 days. The main purpose was to study how microgravity affects different materials. Microgravity is the feeling of being weightless in space.
They also tested advanced robotic tasks using the Shuttle's robotic arm. Other experiments included growing protein crystals. The mission lasted over 312 hours. Columbia orbited Earth 224 times, traveling 5.82 million miles.
STS-81: Visiting the Mir Space Station
STS-81 was a ten-day mission in 1997. Marsha flew on Space Shuttle Atlantis again. This mission was special because it docked with Russia's Mir Space Station. It was the fifth time a Space Shuttle visited Mir.
During five days of being docked, the crew moved over three tons of supplies. This included food, water, and experiment equipment. The mission lasted almost 245 hours. Atlantis orbited Earth 160 times, traveling 3.9 million miles.
STS-98: Building the International Space Station
Marsha's final mission was STS-98 in 2001. She flew on Space Shuttle Atlantis to help build the International Space Station (ISS). This mission delivered the U.S. laboratory module called Destiny.
The Shuttle stayed docked to the ISS for seven days. During this time, Destiny was attached. Astronauts also performed three spacewalks to finish its assembly. The crew moved a docking port and delivered supplies to the astronauts already living on the ISS. The mission lasted almost 13 days. Atlantis traveled 5.3 million miles in 203 orbits. It landed at Edwards Air Force Base.
Interviews
Marsha Ivins has shared her experiences in several interviews:
- What It's Like to Spend 55 Days in Space, by Chris Mooney in Mother Jones, September 20, 2013.
- An Astronaut Reveals What Life In Space Is Really Like, by Marsha Ivins as told to Caitlin Roper in Wired Magazine, November 19, 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Marsha Ivins para niños
