Kathryn Thornton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 17 August 1952 (age 73) Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | Auburn University (BS) University of Virginia (MS,PhD) |
| Spouse | Stephen Thornton |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
Time in space | 40d 15h 14m |
| Selection | NASA Group 10 (1984) |
TotalEVAs | 3 |
Total EVA time | 21h, 11m |
| Missions | STS-33 STS-49 STS-61 STS-73 |
Mission insignia |     |
Kathryn Ryan Cordell Thornton (Born 17 August, 1952[1]) is an American scientist and a formerNASAastronaut with over 975 hours in space, including 21 hours of extravehicular activity.[2] She was the associate dean for graduate programs at theUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering before her retirement in 2019. She is now Professor Emerita.[3]
Thornton was inducted in theUnited States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010.
Kathyrn Thornton graduated fromSidney Lanier High School inMontgomery, Alabama in 1970. She later received aBachelor of Science degree inphysics atAuburn University in 1974. In 1977, she received anMaster of Science degree in physics. In 1979, she earned aDoctor of Philosophy degree in physics at theUniversity of Virginia.[2]
After Thornton earned her doctoral degree at the University of Virginia in 1979, she was awarded aNATO Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her research at theMax Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics inHeidelberg, Germany.[4]
In 1980, Thornton became a physicist at theUnited States Army Foreign Science and Technology Center inCharlottesville, Virginia.[4]
Selected byNASA in May 1984,[5] Thornton became an astronaut in July 1985. Her technical assignments have included flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), serving as a team member of the Vehicle Integration Test Team (VITT) atKennedy Space Center, and as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM).[6] A veteran of four space flights, Thornton flew onSTS-33 in 1989,STS-49 in 1992,STS-61 in 1993, andSTS-73 in 1995. She has logged over 975 hours in space, including more than 21 hours of extravehicular activity (EVA).[2]
Thornton was amission specialist on the crew of STS-33[7]: 53 which launched at night from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 22, 1989, aboard theSpace ShuttleDiscovery. The mission carriedDepartment of Defense payloads and other secondary payloads. After 79 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded on November 27, 1989, atEdwards Air Force Base,California.[8]
On her second flight, Thornton served on the crew of STS-49, May 7 – 16, 1992, on board the maiden flight of the newSpace ShuttleEndeavour.[3] During the mission the crew conducted the initial test flight ofEndeavour, performed a record four EVA's (spacewalks) to retrieve, repair and deploy the International Telecommunications Satellite (Intelsat), and to demonstrate and evaluate numerous EVA tasks to be used for the assembly ofSpace Station Freedom. Thornton was one of two EVA crew members who evaluated Space Station assembly techniques on the fourth EVA. STS-49 logged 213 hours in space and 141 Earth orbits prior to landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.[9]
On her third flight, Thornton was a mission specialist EVA crew member aboard the Space ShuttleEndeavour on the STS-61[7]: 88–89 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing and repair mission. STS-61 launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1993. During the 11-day flight, the HST was captured and restored to full capacity through a record five spacewalks by four astronauts, including Thornton. After having traveled 4,433,772 miles in 163 orbits of the Earth, the crew ofEndeavour returned to a night landing at the Kennedy Space Center on December 13, 1993.[10] Then, afterExpedition 14,Sunita Williams surpassed her for woman with the most spacewalks.[11]
From October 20 to November 5, 1995, Thornton served aboardSpace ShuttleColumbia on STS-73,[7]: 105 as the payload commander of the secondUnited States Microgravity Laboratory mission. The mission focused on materials science, biotechnology, combustion science, the physics of fluids, and numerous scientific experiments housed in the pressurized Spacelab module. In completing her fourth space flight, Thornton orbited the Earth 256 times, traveled over 6 million miles, and logged a total of 15 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes and 21 seconds in space.[12]
Thornton left NASA on August 1, 1996.[13]
She was inducted into the 2010 class of theU.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.[14]
Thornton is a Director Emeritus of the Space Foundation’s Board of Directors, having joined the organization in 2010 and serving in various capacities, including as Chairwoman from 2020 to 2022.[15]
In November 2020, Thornton appeared atWomenTech Network's Women in Tech Global Awards. During her appearance, she shared her experiences as a scientist and astronaut, aiming to support and inspire women in the technology sector.[16]
Thornton is married to Stephen T. Thornton fromOak Ridge, Tennessee.[3] She has two stepsons and three daughters. On October 16, 2019, Thornton completed a through-hike of theAppalachian Trail.[17]
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