JUDITH A. RESNIK (PH.D.) 

NASA ASTRONAUT (DECEASED)

PERSONAL DATA: Born April 5, 1949, in Akron, Ohio. Died January 28, 1986. 

Unmarried. She was a classical pianist and also enjoyed bicycling, running, and 

flying during her free time.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Firestone High School, Akron, Ohio, in 1966; 

received a bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon 

University in 1970, and a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of 

Maryland in 1977.

ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic 

Engineers; American Association for the Advancement of Science; IEEE Committee 

on Professional Opportunities for Women; American Association of University 

Women; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Tau Beta Pi; Eta Kappa 

Nu; Mortarboard; Senior Member of the Society of Women Engineers.

AWARDS: Posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

SPECIAL HONORS: Graduate Study Program Award, RCA, 1971; American Association of University Women Fellow, 

1975-1976. NASA Space Flight Medal, 1984.

EXPERIENCE: Upon graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970, she was employed by RCA located in 

Moorestown, New Jersey; and in 1971, she transferred to RCA in Springfield, Virginia. Her projects while with RCA as a 

design engineer included circuit design and development of custom integrated circuitry for phased-array radar control systems;

specification, project management, and performance evaluation of control system equipment; and engineering support for 

NASA sounding rocket and telemetry systems programs. She authored a paper concerning design procedures for specialpurpose integrated circuitry.

Dr. Resnik was a biomedical engineer and staff fellow in the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the National Institutes of 

Health in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1974 to 1977, where she performed biological research experiments concerning the 

physiology of visual systems. Immediately preceding her selection by NASA in 1978, she was a senior systems engineer in 

product development with Xerox Corporation at El Segundo, California.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, she completed a 1-year training and 

evaluation period in August 1979. Dr. Resnik worked on a number of projects in support of Orbiter development, including 

experiment software, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), and training techniques.

Dr. Resnik first flew as a mission specialist on STS 41-D which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 

30, 1984. She was accompanied by spacecraft commander Hank Hartsfield, pilot Mike Coats, fellow mission specialists, 

Steve Hawley and Mike Mullane, and payload specialist Charlie Walker. This was the maiden flight of the orbiter Discovery. 

During this 7-day mission the crew successfully activated the OAST-1 solar cell wing experiment, deployed three satellites, 

SBS-D, SYNCOM IV-2, and TELSTAR 3-C, operated the CFES-III experiment, the student crystal growth experiment, and 

photography experiments using the IMAX motion picture camera. The crew earned the name "Icebusters" in successfully 

removing hazardous ice particles from the orbiter using the Remote Manipulator System. STS 41-D completed 96 orbits of 

the earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 5, 1984. With the completion of this flight she 

logged 144 hours and 57 minutes in space.

Dr. Resnik was a mission specialist on STS 51-L which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38:00 

EST on January 28, 1986. The crew on board the Orbiter Challenger included the spacecraft commander, Mr. F.R. Scobee, 

the pilot, Commander M.J. Smith (USN), fellow mission specialists, Dr. R.E. McNair, and Lieutenant Colonel E.S. Onizuka 

(USAF), as well as two civilian payload specialists, Mr. G.B. Jarvis and Mrs. S. C. McAuliffe. The STS 51-L crew died on 

January 28, 1986 when Challenger exploded after launch. 

DECEMBER 2003

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Biographical Data

 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

 Houston, Texas 77058