Women in space
Judith A. Resnik
PERSONAL DATA:
Born April 5, 1949, in Akron, Ohio. Died January 28, 1986. Unmarried. She
was a classical pianist and also enjoyed bicycling, running, and flying during
her free time.
EDUCATION:
Graduated from Firestone High School, Akron, Ohio, in 1966; received a bachelor
of science degree in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University
in 1970, and a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of
Maryland in 1977.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; American Association
for the Advancement of Science; IEEE Committee on Professional Opportunities
for Women; American Association of University Women; American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics; Tau Beta Pi; Eta Kappa Nu; Mortarboard; Senior
Member of the Society of Women Engineers.
SPECIAL HONORS:
Graduate Study Program Award, RCA, 1971; American Association of University
Women Fellow, 1975-1976. NASA Space Flight Medal, 1984.
EXPERIENCE:
Upon graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970, she was employed
by RCA located in Moorestown, New Jersey; and in 1971, she transferred to
RCA in Springfield, Virginia. Her projects while with RCA as a design engineer
included circuit design and development of custom integrated circuitry for
phased-array radar control systems; specification, project management, and
performance evaluation of control system equipment; and engineering support
for NASA sounding rocket and telemetry systems programs. She authored a paper
concerning design procedures for special-purpose integrated circuitry.
Dr. Resnik was a biomedical engineer and staff fellow in the Laboratory of
Neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland,
from 1974 to 1977, where she performed biological research experiments concerning
the physiology of visual systems. Immediately preceding her selection by NASA
in 1978, she was a senior systems engineer in product development with Xerox
Corporation at El Segundo, California.
NASA EXPERIENCE:
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, she completed
a 1-year training and evaluation period in August 1979. Dr. Resnik worked
on a number of projects in support of Orbiter development, including experiment
software, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and training techniques.
Dr. Resnik first flew as a mission specialist on STS 41-D which launched from
the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1984. She was accompanied
by spacecraft commander Hank Hartsfield, pilot Mike Coats, fellow mission
specialists, Steve Hawley and Mike Mullane, and payload specialist Charlie
Walker. This was the maiden flight of the orbiter Discovery. During this 7-day
mission the crew successfully activated the OAST-1 solar cell wing experiment,
deployed three satellites, SBS-D, SYNCOM IV-2, and TELSTAR 3-C, operated the
CFES-III experiment, the student crystal growth experiment, and photography
experiments using the IMAX motion picture camera. The crew earned the name
"Icebusters" in successfully removing hazardous ice particles from
the orbiter using the Remote Manipulator System. STS 41-D completed 96 orbits
of the earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September
5, 1984. With the completion of this flight she logged 144 hours and 57 minutes
in space.
Dr. Resnik was a mission specialist on STS 51-L which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38:00 EST on January 28, 1986. The crew on board the Orbiter Challenger included the spacecraft commander, Mr. F.R. Scobee, the pilot, Commander M.J. Smith (USN), fellow mission specialists, Dr. R.E. McNair, and Lieutenant Colonel E.S. Onizuka (USAF), as well as two civilian payload specialists, Mr. G.B. Jarvis and Mrs. S. C. McAuliffe. The STS 51-L crew died on January 28, 1986 when Challenger exploded after launch.