Rhea Seddon

Rhea Seddon, born on November eighth, nineteen forty-seven, is a distinguished American surgeon and retired NASA astronaut. She made history in nineteen seventy-eight as one of the first women selected for the astronaut program, flying on three Space Shuttle missions: STS-51-D, STS-40, and STS-58. Over the course of her career, she accumulated more than seven hundred twenty-two hours in space, where she contributed to significant projects, including the development of repair tools for a US Navy satellite and conducting vital medical experiments.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Seddon earned her Doctor of Medicine degree in nineteen seventy-three. During her residency at the University of Tennessee hospitals, she stood out as the only woman in the General Surgery Residency Program. Her medical career extended beyond her time at NASA, as she actively worked in emergency departments across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Texas.

Selected as an astronaut on August ninth, nineteen seventy-nine, Seddon played a crucial role in various NASA projects. Her contributions included work on the Space Shuttle Orbiter and payload software, as well as the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. She also served as a rescue helicopter physician for early Space Shuttle flights and was a support crew member for STS-6. Her expertise led her to become a member of NASA's Aerospace Medical Advisory Committee and a capsule communicator in the Mission Control Center.

In nineteen ninety-six, Seddon was detailed to Vanderbilt University Medical School, where she assisted in preparing cardiovascular experiments for the STS-90 Neurolab Spacelab flight in April nineteen ninety-eight. After retiring from NASA in November nineteen ninety-seven, she took on the role of Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt Medical Group, continuing her commitment to medicine and space exploration.