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12.09.

1992: The First Couple Launched into Space

1992: The First Couple Launched into Space
Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons

Story Highlights

  • Historical event:
  • 12 September 1992
  • Mark and Jan took part in the STS-47 mission on the shuttle Endeavour on this day in 1992. That was his second flight into space (he was Payload Commander), and Jan’s first flight (she was Mission Specialist).

On this day, the first couple was launched into space – Jan Davis and Mark C. Lee.



They were NASA astronauts. It is interesting to note that they had married in secret during training for this flight, and disclosed their marriage to NASA shortly before the mentioned flight, when it was too late to cancel their participation in the mission.

At the time, NASA had rules which prevented “spouses into space”, but the rule was overruled due to the lack of time to rehearse their replacement. Mark and Jan therefore managed to trick NASA. This rule was later abolished, so today there are no such restrictions.

Mark and Jan took part in the STS-47 mission on the shuttle Endeavour on this day in 1992. That was his second flight into space (he was Payload Commander), and Jan’s first flight (she was Mission Specialist). Their mission lasted eight days, and they successfully returned after they had orbited the Earth 126 times. She was 38 years old at the time, and he was at the age of 40.

This mission also became famous because the first African American woman Mae Carol Jemison traveled in space, and the first Japanese Mamoru Mohri flew a space shuttle.




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