Astronaut Shannon Lucid (born 1943) set the U.S. record for spaceflight endurance by staying aboard the Mir station for 188 days in 1996. This also set the record for the longest time a woman remained in space.

Lucid made aeronautic history after spending 188 days and 75.2 million miles in space, longer than any other American astronaut or any woman in the world. A Russian cosmonaut set the world's record for staying in spaceÄ439 daysÄbut Lucid broke the female record, previously set by Russian Elena Kondakova, who was in orbit for just under 170 days. Lucid's stay on Mir was covered heavily in the American media, which played up her time away from her husband and three grown children, as well as her craving for the candy M&Ms. However, articles also pointed out that she was, at the time, the most experienced NASA member, holding a doctorate in biochemistry...