Jan Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Davis
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Davis in 1987
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Nancy Jan Smotherman
November 1, 1953 Cocoa Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
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Time in space
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28d 2h 7m |
| Selection | NASA Group 12 (1987) |
| Missions | STS-47 STS-60 STS-85 |
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Mission insignia
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Nancy Jan Davis (born November 1, 1953) is a former American astronaut. She flew into space three times. Davis spent over 673 hours in space. She has now retired from NASA.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nancy Jan Davis was born in Cocoa Beach, Florida. However, she considers Huntsville, Alabama, her hometown.
She finished Huntsville High School in 1971. She earned a degree in applied biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1975. Later, she got another degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University in 1977. She continued her studies at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. There, she earned her master's degree in 1983 and her doctorate in 1985. Both were in mechanical engineering.
Engineering Work
After college, Davis worked for Texaco in Texas starting in 1977. She was a petroleum engineer. In 1979, she joined NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center. She worked there as an aerospace engineer.
In 1986, she became a team leader. Her team checked the structure of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). They also worked on its maintenance missions. Her team also worked on the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility. In 1987, she helped redesign a part of the Space Shuttle's solid rocket booster. Davis also holds one patent. She has written several technical papers.
Becoming an Astronaut
Davis became an astronaut in June 1987. Her first job was helping with Space Shuttle payloads. Payloads are the things the Shuttle carries into space. After this, Davis worked as a CAPCOM in Mission Control. She talked to the Shuttle crews during seven missions.
After her first space flight, she helped with the Remote Manipulator System (RMS). This is the robotic arm on the Space Shuttle. She helped with its operations and training. After her second flight, she led NASA's Education Working Group. She also became Chief of the Payloads Branch. This branch supported all Shuttle and International Space Station payloads. Davis has spent over 673 hours in space. She flew on STS-47 in 1992, STS-60 in 1994, and STS-85 in 1997.
STS-47 Mission
STS-47, also called Spacelab-J, was the 50th Space Shuttle mission. It launched on September 12, 1992. This mission was a team effort between the United States and Japan. They did 43 experiments on living things and materials. During the eight-day flight, Davis managed the Spacelab. She also performed many experiments. The Space Shuttle Endeavour landed on September 20, 1992. It had orbited Earth 126 times.
STS-60 Mission
STS-60 was the second flight of Spacehab. It was also the first flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF). This mission launched on February 3, 1994. It was special because a Russian cosmonaut was part of the crew for the first time. During the eight-day mission, Davis's main job was to move the WSF using the robotic arm. She used it to grow thin film crystals. She also did scientific experiments in Spacehab. The Space Shuttle Discovery landed on February 11, 1994. It had completed 130 orbits around Earth.
STS-85 Mission
Davis was the payload commander for STS-85. This mission launched on the Space Shuttle Discovery on August 7, 1997. During this 12-day mission, Davis sent out and brought back the CRISTA-SPAS payload. She also operated the Japanese robotic arm called Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD). The mission also carried other science tools. These tools helped with research on astronomy, Earth sciences, and materials science. The mission completed 189 orbits of Earth. It traveled 4.7 million miles. The Space Shuttle Discovery landed on August 19, 1997.
Later NASA Career
After her flight on STS-85, Davis worked at NASA Headquarters. She was a director in the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. In this role, she checked the safety of space programs. In July 1999, she moved to the Marshall Space Flight Center. She became the Director of the Flight Projects Directorate. This group managed the International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Center. It also managed ISS hardware and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Program.
After the Space Shuttle Columbia accident, she led Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall. She helped make sure the Space Shuttle could fly safely again. Davis retired from NASA in 2005. She then worked for Jacobs Engineering Group. She is currently working for Bastion Technologies, Inc.
In 2023, Davis wrote her first book, “Air Born - Two Generations in Flight.” It is about her father, who was a WWII pilot, and her own space career. In 2024, she published a second book, “Air Born - Artistic Musings of a WWII Pilot and POW.” This book includes her father’s wartime log and cartoons.
Personal Life
Jan Davis is married to former Judge Schuyler Richardson.
Awards and Honors
Jan Davis has received many awards for her work:
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (1998)
- NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1995 and 2002)
- NASA Space Flight Medal (1992, 1994, and 1997)
- NASA Fellowship for Full-Time Study (1983)
- ASME National Old Guard Prize (1978)
- ASME Ralph Coates Roe Medal (2001)
She has also been honored in the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame and the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. She received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive.
See also
In Spanish: Jan Davis para niños
