STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences served as the first mission dedicated to biomedical research, with Millie Hughes-Fulford acting as the first female payload specialist in orbit. During this 1991 flight aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, she helped the crew complete over 18 experiments, gathering a record volume of medical data during the nine-day mission.
Academic Foundation
Born in 1945 in Mineral Wells, Texas, she completed her high school education in 1962. She entered university at age 16, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology from Tarleton State University in 1968. She pursued graduate studies at Texas Woman's University, receiving a doctorate in 1972. During this period, she held fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the American Association of University Women, and the MacArthur Foundation.
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After applying to numerous academic positions, she joined the faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, focusing on cholesterol metabolism before moving her laboratory to San Francisco. In 1978, she applied to NASA's astronaut program, ranking in the top 20 of 8,000 applicants. Although not selected for Group 8, she became a payload specialist in 1983. Additionally, she served in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps from 1981 to 1995, reaching the rank of major.
Bioastronautics and Research
Following her shuttle mission, she held a professorship at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. She directed the Hughes-Fulford Laboratory at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, investigating immunology, bioastronautics, and oncology. As Principal Investigator for SpaceHab/Biorack experiments on missions STS-76, STS-81, and STS-84, she studied osteoblast growth to understand osteoporosis in space. Her later work utilized RT-PCR technology to examine T-cell gene induction on the International Space Station via Soyuz TMA-9.
Final Contributions
Throughout her career, she authored over 120 papers and abstracts covering bone growth regulation and the cellular impacts of spaceflight on the immune system. She collaborated with organizations including the European Space Agency and the National Institutes of Health. Her final research paper addressed lymphoma, the condition that led to her death in San Francisco on February 2, 2021.
Fast facts
- Born: 1945, Mineral Wells, Texas
- Died: 2021, San Francisco
- Education: Tarleton State University, Texas Woman's University
- NASA Mission: STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences, 1991
- Military Service: U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps (1981–1995)
- Rank: Major
- Notable Role: First female NASA payload specialist
Questions readers ask
What was the scientific significance of her 1991 mission?
It was the first mission dedicated to biomedical studies, during which the crew completed over 18 experiments and collected more medical data than any previous NASA flight.
What did her research at the San Francisco VA Medical Center focus on?
Her laboratory investigated immunology, bioastronautics, and oncology, specifically examining how spaceflight affects bone cell growth and immune system gene regulation.
Achievements
- Educated at Tarleton State University and Texas Woman's University
- Worked as astronaut, chemist and biochemist
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