License to Thrive

Shannon Lucid

Shannon W. Lucid grew up during the 1940s and 1950s when women rarely thought of careers in the sciences and aviation, but ignored conventional restrictions to pursue a dream. Confronted by discriminatory attitudes, she persisted, earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Oklahoma in 1973. Lucid broke ground in 1979, when she became a member of the first astronaut class to admit women.

Lucid -- with 5,354 hours (223 days) in space -- holds the international record for the most flight hours in orbit for any non-Russian and the most flight hours for any woman in the world. Moreover, the science experiments she performed during her five highly visible space flights broke new ground in spacecraft deployment, earth science studies, space materials processing, biomedical experimentation and atmospheric ozone research. During her six-month flight aboard the Russian Space Station Mir, Lucid performed space experiments with poise and professionalism while enduring orbital problems and delays. She was a pioneer role model and diplomat par excellence, becoming highly respected and genuinely liked by the Russian crew members as well as by the Russian people.

Lucid's work was appropriately recognized when she became the ninth person and the first woman to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Courtesy National Women's Hall of Fame