1952-

American astronaut who logged more than 633 hours in space. She received her Ph.D. in physics in 1980 from the University of Missouri and joined NASA as an astronaut in 1985. In 1996 she and a crew of six joined and docked with the Russian space station Mir, and delivered 4800 pounds (2,177 kg) of science equipment and hardware, food, water, and air supplies to the crew. She performed a six-hour space walk, the first while docked to an orbiting space station.