Resnik, Judith (1949-1986), was an American astronaut and electrical engineer. Resnik became the second American woman in space in 1984, on the first flight of the space shuttle Discovery. Resnik died in the Challenger disaster on Jan. 28, 1986, when the space shuttle exploded seconds after launch. The Challenger disaster was one of the worst accidents in the history of human spaceflight.
Judith Arlene Resnik was born on April 5, 1949, in Akron, Ohio. She studied electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and earned her bachelor of science degree in 1970. While pursuing her doctorate degree in electrical engineering at the University of Maryland, she worked on projects that would be used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After earning her doctorate degree in 1977, Resnik saw a NASA advertisement seeking women to become astronauts. She applied and was selected in January 1978.
Resnik’s first flight was scheduled for June 26, 1984, on the shuttle Discovery, but the launch did not happen due to a mechanical problem. The delayed flight took off on Aug. 30, 1984. Resnik’s job on the six-day mission was to operate a mechanical arm to position satellites and to remove ice from the surface of Discovery.
Afterward, Resnik began preparing for her second mission, on the space shuttle Challenger. The launch was delayed by weather and mechanical problems but took off on Jan. 28, 1986. The Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launching, killing all seven crew members. Along with her crewmates, Resnik was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor after her death.
