Logging over 38 days in space across four separate missions, Linda M. Godwin established a distinct record in orbital history as the first woman to perform spacewalks outside two separate space stations. Her trajectory from Missouri classrooms to the pressurized environment of the Space Shuttle defined a career centered on complex payload integration and flight operations.
Early Education and Academic Research
Born in 1952 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Godwin graduated from Jackson High School in 1970. She pursued studies in mathematics and physics at Southeast Missouri State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in 1974. She continued her academic training at the University of Missouri, completing both a Master of Science and a Doctorate by 1980. During her doctoral studies, she taught undergraduate physics laboratories and researched low-temperature solid-state physics, focusing on electron tunneling and the vibrational modes of molecular species on metallic substrates.
NASA Career and Technical Assignments
Godwin entered NASA in 1980, initially working within the Payload Operations Division. Her responsibilities included payload integration and serving as a flight controller for Space Shuttle missions. After being selected as an astronaut candidate in June 1985 and qualifying in July 1986, she contributed to flight software verification within the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. Her administrative roles grew to include leadership positions such as chief of the Mission Development Branch, deputy chief of the Astronaut Office, and assistant to the director for exploration at the Johnson Space Center.
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Godwin participated in four missions: STS-37, STS-59, STS-76, and STS-108. On STS-37 in 1991, she helped deploy the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. As payload commander for STS-59 in 1994, she managed the Space Radar Laboratory mission. Her spacewalk in March 1996 during the STS-76 docking mission to Mir made her the first woman to walk outside two different stations, a distinction repeated in December 2001 while serving on the International Space Station during STS-108.
Post-NASA Transitions
Following her retirement from NASA in 2010, Godwin transitioned back to academia. She accepted a faculty position in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri. Throughout her professional life, she maintained memberships in organizations including the American Physical Society and the Association of Space Explorers. She also held an instrument-rated private pilot license. Her service to the space program was recognized with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2002.
Fast facts
- Born: 1952, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
- Astronaut qualification: July 1986
- Total space flights: 4
- Time in space: Over 38 days
- NASA retirement year: 2010
- Spacewalk stations: Mir and International Space Station
- Current employer: University of Missouri
- 2002 award: NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Linda M. Godwin study?
She studied mathematics and physics, eventually earning a Doctorate in physics from the University of Missouri.
Which space stations did Godwin conduct spacewalks on?
She performed spacewalks outside both the Russian space station Mir and the International Space Station.
Did Godwin hold administrative roles at NASA?
Yes, she served as chief of the Mission Development Branch, deputy chief of the Astronaut Office, and assistant to the director for exploration.
Achievements
- Affiliated with National Aeronautics and Space Administration and University of Missouri
- Educated at University of Missouri, Southeast Missouri State University and Jackson High School
- Worked as astronaut
