Mary Cleave, the first woman to fly on NASA’s space shuttle after Challenger disaster, dies at 76
"I’m sad we’ve lost trail blazer, Dr. Mary Cleave, shuttle astronaut, veteran of two spaceflights," said NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana in a statement.
NASA astronaut Mary Cleave as pictured on April 8, 1985. Mary Cleave, the NASA astronaut who in 1989 became the first woman to fly on a space shuttle mission after the Challenger disaster, has died at the age of 76, the space agency announced on November 29. (NASA)
(CNN) — Mary Cleave, the NASA astronaut who in 1989 became the first woman to fly on a space shuttle mission after the Challenger disaster, has died at the age of 76, the space agency announced on Wednesday.
NASA did not give a cause of death.
“I’m sad we’ve lost trail blazer Dr. Mary Cleave, shuttle astronaut, veteran of two spaceflights, and first woman to lead the Science Mission Directorate as associate administrator,” said NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana in a statement. “Mary was a force of nature with a passion for science, exploration, and caring for our home planet. She will be missed.”
Cleave — who died Monday, according to the statement — was a native of Great Neck, New York. She studied biological sciences at Colorado State University before going on to earn her master’s in microbial ecology and a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University.
Report a Typo
