Judith Resnik

Hello! My name is Judy Resnik. I was born on April 5th, 1949, in a city called Akron, Ohio. When I was a little girl, I was super curious about everything! I loved solving tricky math puzzles, and my fingers danced on the keys when I played the piano. School was my favorite place because learning new things felt like going on a wonderful adventure. I always worked very hard to do my best.

After I finished high school, I knew I wanted to keep learning. I went to a big school called Carnegie Mellon University. I decided to become an electrical engineer. That sounds complicated, but it just means I learned how to design and build things that use electricity, like radios and even computers! I thought it was so much fun that I kept studying for many more years. In 1977, I earned a very special degree called a Ph.D., which meant I was a doctor of engineering. I was so proud of myself for working hard and reaching my goal.

Just one year later, in 1978, the most amazing thing happened. I received a call from NASA, the group that sends people on adventures to space. They chose me to become an astronaut! It was extra special because I was one of the very first women they ever picked. The training was hard work, but it was also a lot of fun. I learned how to fly super-fast jets and what it feels like when a spaceship takes off. On August 30th, 1984, my dream came true. I flew into space for the first time on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Seeing our beautiful blue Earth from the window while I floated in zero gravity was the most incredible feeling in the world!

I was so excited for my second trip to space on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. The mission was very important, but sadly, something went wrong right after we launched. I lived to be 36 years old. Even though my journey ended sooner than I expected, I am so happy that I got to follow my biggest dreams and fly among the stars. I hope my story inspires you to be curious, study hard, and never stop reaching for your own amazing dreams.