Lucid, Shannon | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Shannon Lucid

Born January 14, 1943 (Shanghai, China)

American astronaut, biochemist, administrator

Women's contributions to space exploration began in 1963, when Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937–; see entry) became the first woman to fly in space. Tereshkova's legacy was continued by such women as American astronauts Sally Ride (1951–; see entry) and Mae Jemison (1956–; see entry) and French cosmonaut Claudie Haigneré (1957–; see entry). More than thirty years after Tereshkova's flight, American astronaut Shannon Lucid achieved another milestone. During a six-month mission on the Russian space station Mir, she logged the most flight hours in space by a woman. (A space station is a research laboratory that orbits in space.) She also set the international record for the most flight hours in orbit by a non-Russian.

Combines Studies with Family Life

Shannon Lucid was born on January 14, 1943, in Shanghai, China, the daughter of Joseph and Myrtle Wells. Her parents were American citizens, but they were serving as Baptist missionaries in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45; a conflict between China and Japan over territory

in China). At the time of Shannon's birth, China was occupied by Japan and the family was being held in a Japanese prison camp.

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