On This Day In Alabama History: Kathryn Thornton Flew On Space Shuttle

By Graydon Rust Alabama 200

November 22, 1989

Nuclear physicist Kathryn Thornton became the first woman to fly on a military space mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Thornton, who was born in Montgomery and graduated from Auburn University, flew four missions and logged more than 975 hours in space, including 21 hours of extravehicular activity. While in space, she deployed satellites, conducted research, helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope and tested systems for the construction of the International Space Station. Thornton received NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal in 1996 was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010. She is one of six astronauts born in Alabama.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.

Please visit Alabama News Center for the Full Article

Tags: exp6

Category: ALL POSTS, Partner News Stories