Kathryn Ryan Cordell Thornton (Born 17 August, 1952) is an American scientist and a former NASA astronaut with over 975 hours in space, including 21 hours of extravehicular activity. She was the associate dean for graduate programs at the University 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.

In 1980, Thornton became a physicist at the United States Army Foreign Science and Technology Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. 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) at Kennedy Space Center, and as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM). A veteran of four space flights, Thornton flew on STS-33 in 1989, STS-49 in 1992, STS-61 in 1993, and STS-73 in 1995. She has logged over 975 hours in space, including more than 21 hours of extravehicular activity (EVA). which launched at night from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 22, 1989, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission carried Department of Defense payloads and other secondary payloads. After 79 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded on November 27, 1989, at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

On her second flight, Thornton served on the crew of STS-49, May 7 – 16, 1992, on board the maiden flight of the new Space Shuttle Endeavour.

On her third flight, Thornton was a mission specialist EVA crew member aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on the STS-61 Then, after Expedition 14, Sunita Williams surpassed her for woman with the most spacewalks.

From October 20 to November 5, 1995, Thornton served aboard Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-73,

Thornton left NASA on August 1, 1996.

She was inducted into the 2010 class of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Leadership

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.

In November 2020, Thornton appeared at WomenTech 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.

Personal life

Thornton is married to Stephen T. Thornton from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She has two stepsons and three daughters. On October 16, 2019, Thornton completed a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

References

  • NASA Biography