Kathryn sullivan quotes

Kathryn Sullivan: Spacewalker and Earth Explorer

Few know the globe's nooks and crannies more intimately than Kathryn Sullivan — intrepid explorer of the sky and the sea. As an astronaut, she stepped out of the space shuttle's airlock to become the first American woman to float freely through space. She was also instrumental in the planning and launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.

What motivated Sullivan wasn't a hunger for the final frontier, but a passion for Earth. After 15 years and three trips to space, she left NASA and returned to her academic roots as an oceanographer and Earth scientist. She became the chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), oversaw science education at the Center of Science and Industry in Ohio and eventually served as the administrator of NOAA, where she oversaw initiatives related to Earth observation and weather forecasting. 

"My real roots are a fascination with the planet and how it works, and a desire to explore every facet of that I can," she said during a lecture at the Symphony Space performi

Dr. Kathy Sullivan Keynote Speaker

  • First American woman to walk in space
  • Distinguished scientist, astronaut and executive
  • Member, President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) (2021)

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Dr. Kathy Sullivan's Biography

Dr. Kathryn Sullivan has a long career as a distinguished scientist, astronaut and executive. She was one of the first six women to join the NASA astronaut corps in 1978 and holds the distinction of being the first American woman to walk in space. Her submersible dive to the Challenger Deep in June of 2020 made her a triple Guinness World Record holder, as the most vertical person in the world, the first person to both orbit the planet and reach its deepest point, and the first woman to dive to full ocean depth.

Sullivan has held a variety of senior executive positions since leaving NASA, including Presidential appointments to the National Science Board and as Chief Scientist, Deputy Administrator and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She currently serves on the boards of

Kathryn D. Sullivan

American astronaut (born 1951)

"Kathryn Sullivan" redirects here. For other uses, see Kathryn Sullivan (disambiguation).

Kathryn Sullivan

Born

Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan


(1951-10-03) October 3, 1951 (age 73)

Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.

Education
Awards
Space career
RankCaptain, USN

Time in space

22d 4h 49m
SelectionNASA Group 8 (1978)

Total EVAs

1

Total EVA time

3h 29m
MissionsSTS-41-G
STS-31
STS-45

Mission insignia

In office
March 1, 2013 – January 20, 2017
Acting: March 1, 2013 – March 6, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJane Lubchenco
Succeeded byBenjamin Friedman (acting)
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
ThesisThe Structure and Evolution of the Newfoundland Basin, Offshore Eastern Canada (1978)
Doctoral advisorMichael John Keen

Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan (born October 3, 1951) is an American geologist, oceanographer, and former NASA astronaut and US Navy officer. She was a crew member on three Space Shu

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