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astronauts

We Have Done the Impossible and That Makes Us Mighty

Sally Ride Honored With the Presidential Medal of Freedom

by Susana Polo | 11:42 am, May 21st, 2013

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor the United States can award, created to recognize “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” In a ceremony yesterday, President Obama announced that he will be posthumously awarding the Medal to Sally Ride, the third woman, and first American woman, in space.

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To infinity and beyond!

NASA Astronauts Are Starting To Look Like Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear

by Jill Pantozzi | 2:22 pm, December 20th, 2012

NASA did have an astronaut named Buzz so maybe this new spacesuit is more appropriate than we thought. You’re looking at the Z-1 Prototype Spacesuit and Portable Life Support System 2.0, aka a real space suit that looks a lot like Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear. THR writes, “And this isn’t the only Buzz Lightyear/NASA crossover: Disney and NASA have joined forces to develop hands-on educational activities and exhibits centered around the character’s fictional voyage to, and 450 days spent living inside, the International Space Station.”

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

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It Came From Outer Space

Sunita Williams To Return from the International Space Station Today, Will Make Earth a Little Better by Being On It

by Rebecca Pahle | 12:55 pm, November 18th, 2012

Here at The Mary Sue we love Sunita Williams. How can we not? She holds several records for female astronauts, among them the longest stretch of time spent in space. She’s completed a marathon and a triathlon from up among the stars. And she’s only the second female in history to command the International Space Station. Today at 5:26 PM EST Williams and her crew will undock from the ISS and begin their trip back to Earth. Speaking as an Earthling (well… as far as you know), we’ll be glad to have her back.

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so long and thanks for all the fish

R.I.P Sally Ride, America’s First Female Astronaut

by Susana Polo | 9:55 am, July 24th, 2012

It was merely a month ago that we were jointly celebrating two occasions: Liu Yang becoming China’s first female taikonaut, and the twenty-ninth anniversary of Sally Ride‘s inaugural voyage on the Challenger shuttle, the one that made her the third woman to go to space, and the first one to be put there by the American space program. Yesterday evening we received the sad news: Sally Ride has succumbed to pancreatic cancer after a two-year illness, dying at the age of sixty-one.

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Good News Everyone!

China’s First Woman Astronaut Triumphantly Returns From Space

by Kellie Foxx-Gonzalez | 2:47 pm, June 29th, 2012

Remember Liu Yang, China’s first female taikonaut, who blasted off into space earlier this month? She returned to Earth today when the the Shenzhou-IX spacecraft landed safely in Inner Mongolia at 10:05 local time (02:05 GMT).

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Today in Boobs

As China’s First Woman Sits In Space, Sally Ride Celebrates The 29th Anniversary Of Her Mission

by Jill Pantozzi | 11:08 am, June 18th, 2012

We were thrilled to bring you the news last week that China had chosen Liu Yang as their first woman astronaut. Read on for details about the launch, which coincidentally enough, happened very close to the anniversary of trail blazer Sally Ride’s first space mission. 

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Firsts

China Finally Announces Their First Female Astronaut: Fighter Pilot Liu Yang

by Jamie Frevele | 2:43 pm, June 15th, 2012

Finally, a decision! After what seemed like a lot of waffling and delays, China’s space program has finally announced the name of their first female taikonaut: fighter pilot Liu Yang! Beating out Captain Wang Yaping, the 33-year-old captain will board the Shenzhou 9 this weekend and make Chinese history. Not bad for a girl from a working-class background who is known for her “nerves of steel”!

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The Final Frontier

This Was That Time NASA Issued a Memo On Tying Back Long Hair While In Space

by Jamie Frevele | 2:31 pm, May 13th, 2012

The astronaut pictured above with the glorious mane is Marsha Ivins, who worked for NASA for 36 years and flew on five shuttle missions before leaving the agency. Normally, her hair falls like regular hair, however in the picture above, she and her hair are in zero gravity. It’s quite a sight to behold, the subject of many a giggle, even at NASA. However, when those pictures were made public, industrial safety engineers who didn’t work for the agency expressed some concern about the hazards of long tresses in zero gravity. NASA issued a memo, then its astronauts wore … bald caps.

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It Came From Outer Space

Phillip Bond Draws Lovely, Quirky Portraits of Eight Barrier-Breaking Female Astronauts

by Susana Polo | 3:40 pm, April 9th, 2012

For years now, comic artist Phillip Bond has been taking a break from penciling comic pages by glancing at a few photos of a female astronaut and then trying to draw, ink, and color that quick impression. But beyond offering artistic interpretation and historical tidbits, Bond manages to imbue each portrait with a healthy helping of personality.

Above: Valentina Tereshkova, whose three-day spaceflight in 1963 made her the first woman in space.

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To Boldly Go

China Sending Their First Women To Space Is Even Closer To Reality

by Jill Pantozzi | 4:15 pm, March 12th, 2012

Back in December, we brought you the news that the identities of the possible first Chinese women taikonauts (their word for astronauts) may have inadvertently leaked thanks to a stamp collector in Germany. Now we’ve got some more concrete proof as an unspecified number of women have passed through to final training for the space mission. 

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