Mary Cleave, the NASA astronaut who, in 1989, became the first woman to fly on a space shuttle mission after the Challenger disaster, has died at the age of 76, as announced by the space agency on Wednesday. fair.
NASA did not disclose the cause of death.
“I am saddened by the loss of pioneering Dr. Mary Cleave, space shuttle astronaut, veteran of two space trips and the first woman to lead the Science Mission Directorate as associate administrator,” NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana said in a statement. “Mary was a force of nature with a passion for science, exploration and caring for our planet. She will be missed.”
Cleave, who passed away on Monday, according to the release, was a native of Great Neck, New York. She studied biological sciences at Colorado State University before earning her master’s degree in microbial ecology and doctorate in civil and environmental engineering at Utah State University.
From air to space
She told the NASA Oral History Project in 2002 that she had been fascinated with flying planes since childhood and obtained her pilot’s license before her driver’s license. At one point, Cleave said she wanted to be a flight attendant, but discovered that, at 5 feet 7 inches tall, she was too short for the role according to airline rules at the time.
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Source: CNN Brasil
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