Sandra Magnus

Sandra Magnus‏‎ (born October 30, 1964) is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. She flew in space on the Space Shuttle and on the International Space Station (ISS).

Early life and education

Magnus was born in Belleville, Illinois. She earned a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. She later earned a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

NASA career

Magnus was selected by NASA in 1996. Her first spaceflight was as a mission specialist on STS-112, a Space Shuttle mission to the ISS in 2002. She returned to the ISS in 2008 on STS-126, where she remained for four and a half months. Her final spaceflight was on STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle program, in 2011.

Post-NASA career

After leaving NASA in 2012, Magnus became the executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a position she held until 2018.

Awards and honors

Magnus has received several awards for her contributions to space exploration, including the NASA Space Flight Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

See also

• List of female astronauts
• Women in space