NAME: Shannon W. Lucid (Ph.D.)

NASA Astronaut

BIRTH DATE/PLACE: Born January 14, 1943, in Shanghai, China but

considers Bethany, Oklahoma, to be her hometown. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O. Wells, reside in Bethany.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Brown hair, blue eyes; 5 feet 9 inches; 150

pounds.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Bethany High School, Bethany Oklahoma, in 1960; received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the university of Oklahoma in 1963, and master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in biochemistry from the University of Oklahoma in 1970 and 1973, respectively.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to Michael F. Lucid of Indianapolis, Indiana.

CHILDREN: Kawai Dawn, September 19, 1968, Shandara Michelle, January 13, 1970; and Michael Kermit, August 22, 1975.

RECREATIONAL INTERSTS: She enjoys flying, camping, hiking, and reading.

EXPERIENCE: Dr. Lucid’s experience includes a variety of academic assignments, such as teaching assistant at the University of Oklahoma’s Department of Chemistry from 1963 to 1964; senior laboratory technician at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation from 1964 to 1966; chemist at Kerr-McGee, Oklahoma city, Oklahoma, 1966 to 1968; graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from 1969 to 1973; and research associate with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from 1974 until her selection to the astronaut candidate training program.

Dr. Lucid id a commercial, instrument, and multi-engine rated pilot.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in January 1978, Dr. Lucid became an astronaut in August 1979. She is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. Some of her technical assignments have included: the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); the Flight Software Laboratory, in Downey, California, working with the rendezvous and proximity operations group; Astronaut Office interface at Kennedy Spec Center, Florida, participating in payload testing, Shuttle testing, and launch countdowns; spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in the JSC Mission Control Center during numerous Space Shuttle Missions. She has also served as Chief of Mission Support, and Chief of Astronaut Appearances. A veteran of five space flights, Dr. Lucid has logged 5,354 hours (233) days in space. She flew on STS 51-G in 1985, STS-34 in 1989, STS-43 in 1991, STS-58 in 1993, and most recently served as a Board Engineer 2 on Russia’s Space Station Mir (launching March 22, 1996 aboard STS-76 and returning September 26, 1996 aboard STS-79). Dr. Lucid holds the record for the most flight hours in orbit by any non-Russian, and holds the record for most flight hours in orbit by any woman in the world.

On her first mission Dr. Lucid was a crewmember on STS 51-G, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on June 17, 1985. During the mission the crew deployed communications satellites for Mexico (Morelos), the Arab League (Arabsat), and the United States (AT&T Telstar). They used the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to deploy and later retrieve the SPARTAN satellite which performed 17 hours of x-ray astronomy experiments while separated from the Space Shuttle. In addition, the crew activated the Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (ADSF), six Getaway Specials, and participated in biomedical experiments. Following 112 orbits of the Earth in 169 hours and 39 seconds, STS 51-G Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on June 24, 1985.

Dr. Lucid next flew on the crew of STS-34, aboard Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 18, 1989, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on October 23, 1989. During 79 orbits of the earth crew members successfully deployed the Galileo spacecraft on its journey to explore Jupiter, operated the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Instrument (SSBUV) to map atmospheric ozone, and performed numerous secondary experiments involving radiation measurements, polymer morphology, lightning research, microgravity effects on plants, and a student experiment on ice crystal growth in space. Mission duration 119 hours and 41 minutes.

Dr. Lucid served on the crew of STS-43 aboard the Orbiter Atlantis. The nine day mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 2, 1991. During the flight crew members deployed the fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-E), in addition to conducting 32 physical, material, and life science experiments, mostly relating to the Extended Duration Orbiter and Space Station Freedom. After 142 orbits of the Earth in 213 hours, the mission concluded with a landing on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center on August 11, 1991.

More recently, Dr. Lucid was a crew member on the 7-person life science research mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, launching from the Kennedy Space Center on October 18, 1993, and landing at Edwards Air Force Base on November 1, 1993. This record duration fourteen-day Space Shuttle mission has been recognized by NASA management as the most successful and efficient Spacelab flight that NASA has flown. The crew performed neurovestibular, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal medical experiments on themselves and 48 rats, expanding our knowledge of human and animal physiology both on earth and in space flight. In addition, the crew performed 16 engineering tests aboard the Orbiter Columbia and 20 Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project experiments. The STS-58 mission was accomplished in 225 orbits of the Earth in 336 hours, 13 minutes, 01 second.

Dr. Lucid currently holds the United States single mission space flight endurance record on the Russian Space Station Mir. Following a year of training in Star City, Russia, her journey started with liftoff at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 22, 1996 aboard STS-76 Atlantis. Following docking, she transferred to the Mir Space Station. Assigned as a Board Engineer 2, she performed numerous life science and physical science experiments during the course of her stay aboard Mir. Her return journey to KSC was made aboard STS-79 Atlantis on September 26, 1996. In completing this mission Dr. Lucid traveled 75.2 million miles in 188 days, 04 hours, 00 minutes, 14 seconds.