Astronaut Profile
Laurel B. Clark
Mission Specialist
Laurel Clark, a Navy flight surgeon and former submarine medical officer, was on her first spaceflight aboard Columbia when the orbiter broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Mission Specialist • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
Laurel B. Clark was a U.S. Navy flight surgeon who had previously served as a submarine medical officer before joining NASA's astronaut corps. She was on her first spaceflight, STS-107, a sixteen-day science mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. On February 1, 2003, damage sustained during launch caused the orbiter to break apart during reentry, killing Clark and all six of her crewmates.
Astronaut Details
Born
March 10, 1961
Died
February 1, 2003
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa, USA
Role
Mission Specialist
Program
Space Shuttle
Time in Space
15 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes
Missions
STS-107
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous)
- Navy Distinguished Flying Cross