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January 28th marks the death of one of the most badass American women ever, Astronaut Judith Resnik. 
By age 17, Resnik was one of only 16 American women to ever earn a perfect SAT score. Then she auditioned into Julliard, got in, and TURNED THEM DOWN to study math at Carnegie Mellon. She would graduate with a degree in electrical engineering, later earning a PhD from U of MD.
Mere months after graduation, Resnik, working at RCA, would write a paper that caught NASA’s attention. By January the following year, she was recruited into the Astronaut Corps at age 28.
Did I mention that while all this was happening, Resnik qualified as a private pilot? She scored two 100s and a 98 on her flying exams.
Resnik was chosen to fly on STS-41D - the maiden voyage of the space shuttle Discovery. As a mission specialist, Resnik operated the shuttle’s robotic arm...which she is credited with co-creating.
While in orbit, Resnik would become the 4th woman ever to fly in space, as well as the 1st jewish woman. She became an instant icon thanks to her “HI DAD” photo.
Resnik’s experience and training would lead to her selection as a mission specialist on a second flight just two years later...STS-51L.
At the young age of 36, Resnik‘s life was cut tragically short by the Challenger disaster. Three decades later, the sting of loss still feels fresh.
There’s a crater named in Judy’s honor on the far side moon. It’s a fitting tribute to this pioneering scientist, astronaut, and scholar.
