She Downplays Record Space Trip

Tue., July 16, 1996

Associated Press

There’s not enough junk food or books, but other than that, staying in space a record 115 days, nine hours and 44 minutes wasn’t such a big deal, NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid said Monday.

At a news conference marking the record-setting event, Lucid said she misses her husband and three children and could use more books and food like potato chips.

But otherwise, she’s getting along fine aboard the Russian space station Mir and doesn’t mind spending an extra six weeks in orbit.

Space shuttle Atlantis, Lucid’s ride home, is grounded until mid-September because of rocket problems. Until the trouble arose, she expected to be back home in Houston in early August. Now, she has 70 or so more days to go.

“So I’m going to stay up here a little longer and I’ll be home a little bit later,” she said.

Lucid, 53, a biochemist who’s been living on Mir with two Russian cosmonauts since March, said her family has been extremely supportive and sends her daily computer messages. Lucid surpassed Dr. Norman Thagard’s U.S. space endurance record of 115 days, nine hours and 43 minutes early Monday afternoon.

The third woman to live on the Mir station, Lucid also will break the space record for women - almost 170 days - in September.

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She Downplays Record Space Trip

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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