Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai, first Asian woman in space

Chiaki Mukai, born May 6, 1952 in Japan, is the first Japanese woman in space, the first Asian woman, and the first Japanese citizen go to into space twice.

Her first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as payload specialist in July 1994.  She carried out experiments sponsored by NASDA, the precursor to the Japanese Space Exploration Agency.

Her second and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-95) as payload specialist in October-November 1998. It was the final flight for astronaut John Glenn as well.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Stephen Robinson!

Stephen Robinson, born October 26, 1955 in Sacramento, California, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-85) as mission specialist in August 1997.  The mission lasted almost 12 days.

His second flight was again on Discovery (STS-95) as mission specialist in October-November 1998. One of his fellow astronaut was US Senator John Glenn, his second trip into space.

His third flight was aboard Discovery (STS-114) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in July-August 2005.  It was the "Return to Flight" space shuttle mission, the first following the Columbia disaster in 2003.

His fourth and final flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-130) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in February 2010. 

John Glenn, first American in orbit, born 1921

John Glenn, born July 18, 1921 in Cambridge, Ohio, is the first American to orbit Earth.  In February 1962, he orbited Earth three times in Friendship 7, lasting almost 5 hours.  After his historic flight, JFK said Glenn was too valuable to the nation as an iconic figure that he would not risk putting Glenn back in space.

After leaving NASA, Glenn ran for the US Senate and became Ohio's senator from 1974 to 1999. 

Glenn did return to space in 1998 aboard the space shuttle Discovery (STS-95) October-November 1998, making him the oldest person in space.

Glenn passed away in December 2016.

Remembering John Glenn, astronaut, 1921-2016

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, has passed away.  He flew on the Friendship 7 in February 1962 making three orbits of Earth in  just under 5 hours.  President John F. Kennedy presented him with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

At 77, he flew  on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998 as a Payload Specialist, making him the oldest man to go into space.

John Glenn returns to space 1998

Space Shuttle Discovery Crew - Back row: Mission Specialist 2 Scott E. Parazynski, Payload Specialist 1 Chiaki Mukai, Mission Specialist 1 Pedro Duque, Payload Specialist 2 John H. Glenn, Jr.

Front row: Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Commander Curtis L. Brown, Jr.

Astronaut and senator John Glenn returned to space on board the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-95), October 29, 1998.  He became the oldest man to date to go into space.  Also aboard was Pedro Duque of Spain, the country's first astronaut.  The rest of the crew consisted of Commander Curtis Brown, Pilot Steven Lindsey, Scott Parazynski, Stephen Robinson and Chiaki Mukai.

Glenn made history as part of NASA's Mercury project to become the first American to orbit Earth. in the Friendship 7 in 1962.  His second return to space was at the age of 77 as a payload specialist.  NASA conducted experiments on Glenn while in space to give them an understanding of the effects of space on aging.

John Glenn, first US astronaut to orbit Earth, 1962

February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first US astronaut to orbit Earth.  He made three orbits in just under 5 hours before re-entering the atmosphere.  The USS Noa was 6 miles away from where Glenn splashed down and reached him 17 minutes later.