Marsha Ivins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marsha Ivins
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Ivins in 1996
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| Born | April 15, 1951 |
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| 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 (born April 15, 1951) is an American retired astronaut. She flew on five different Space Shuttle missions.
Marsha Ivins's Journey to Space
Early Life and Education
Marsha Ivins was born on April 15, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland. She finished high school in Pennsylvania in 1969. In 1973, she earned a college degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. This is a type of engineering that deals with designing aircraft and spacecraft.
Working at NASA
After college, Marsha Ivins started working at NASA's Johnson Space Center. She helped design the displays and controls for the Space Shuttle orbiters. In 1980, she became a flight engineer and co-pilot for NASA's administrative planes.
In 1984, Marsha Ivins was chosen to become an astronaut. She retired from NASA on December 31, 2010.
Marsha Ivins's Space Missions
Marsha Ivins flew on five exciting space missions. She helped deploy satellites and worked on important science experiments.
STS-32: Deploying a Satellite
Her first mission was STS-32, from January 9 to 20, 1990. The Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Florida. During this eleven-day flight, the crew successfully put a Syncom satellite into space. They also brought back a large science platform called the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). The mission lasted over 261 hours and traveled 4.5 million miles.
STS-46: Testing a Tethered Satellite
STS-46 took place from July 31 to August 8, 1992. This eight-day mission involved the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The crew deployed the EURECA (European Retrievable Carrier) satellite. They also tested a new system called the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) for the first time. The mission lasted over 191 hours and covered 3.35 million miles.
STS-62: Science in Microgravity
From March 4 to 18, 1994, Marsha Ivins flew on STS-62. This was a 14-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. The crew studied how microgravity (very low gravity) affects different materials and technologies. They also worked on growing protein crystals and testing robotic arm tasks. The mission lasted over 312 hours and traveled 5.82 million miles.
STS-81: Visiting Space Station Mir
STS-81 was a 10-day mission on Space Shuttle Atlantis, from January 12 to 22, 1997. This was the fifth time a Space Shuttle docked with Russia's Mir Space Station. The astronauts exchanged crew members and moved over three tons of supplies and equipment between the two spacecraft. The mission lasted almost 245 hours and traveled 3.9 million miles.
STS-98: Building the International Space Station
Marsha Ivins's final mission was STS-98, from February 7 to 20, 2001. The Space Shuttle Atlantis delivered the U.S. laboratory module called Destiny to the International Space Station. The Shuttle stayed docked for seven days while Destiny was attached. The crew performed three spacewalks to complete the assembly. They also moved a docking port and delivered supplies to the astronauts already living on the station. This mission lasted over 12 days and traveled 5.3 million miles.
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
