Judith Resnik
An electrical engineer who soared beyond Earth's bounds, becoming the second American woman and first Jewish American in space.
1949–1986 (age 37)·American engineer and astronaut·Birthday: April 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Judith Resnik earned a PhD in electrical engineering before applying to NASA. She worked on the agency's telemetry systems and specialized circuitry as a scientist-astronaut. Selected in NASA's 1978 class—the first to include women—she represented the shift from test pilots to mission specialists. Her first flight aboard the Space Shuttle *Discovery* in 1984 made her the second American woman in orbit. On that mission, she operated the shuttle's robotic arm with precision, demonstrating her technical expertise. Colleagues noted her fierce intelligence and her thick, dark hair that floated spectacularly in zero-g. Resnik was a respected crew member preparing for her second mission. Her life and career ended aboard the Space Shuttle *Challenger* in 1986.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Judith was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Judith Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Judith's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1986Died at 37
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
Key Achievements
- Flew as a mission specialist on the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-41-D).
- Became the second American woman and the first Jewish American of any gender to fly in space.
- Earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland.
- Was a biomedical engineer and senior systems engineer for Xerox before joining NASA.
- Co-authored several patents related to NASA's research and development work.
Did You Know?
She was a classical pianist and considered a career in music before fully committing to engineering.
She scored a perfect 1600 on her SATs.
On her first shuttle flight, she famously wore a sweatshirt from her alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, during a press conference.
She held a commercial pilot's license.
A crater on Venus is named 'Resnik' in her honor.
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