Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper is an American engineer and a retired United States Navy Captain who served as a NASA astronaut. She achieved two spaceflights, logging a total of 27 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes in space, and she performed five spacewalks totaling 33 hours and 42 minutes.
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Stefanyshyn-Piper was born on February 7, 1963, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She graduated from Derham Hall High School, an all-girls Catholic school, in 1980. She then attended the United States Naval Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1985. She later earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995.
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After graduating from the Naval Academy, Stefanyshyn-Piper was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy. She served on several ships, including the USS Lexington and the USS Yorktown. She also served as a Diving Officer and a Salvage Officer.
NASA career[edit | edit source]
Stefanyshyn-Piper was selected by NASA in April 1996. She flew on STS-115 and STS-126, logging over 27 days in space and performing five spacewalks. On STS-115, she helped install the P3/P4 truss on the International Space Station. On STS-126, she worked on repairing the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, a critical part of the station's power system.
Personal life[edit | edit source]
Stefanyshyn-Piper is married and has one child. She enjoys scuba diving, skiing, sewing, and gardening in her spare time.
Awards and honors[edit | edit source]
Stefanyshyn-Piper has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including the Navy Commendation Medal, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.
See also[edit | edit source]
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- 1963 births
- Living people
- American astronauts
- Women astronauts
- United States Naval Academy alumni
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni
- People from Saint Paul, Minnesota
- American women engineers
- 20th-century American engineers
- 21st-century American engineers
- American mechanical engineers
- United States Navy Captains
- NASA people
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD