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m Jan Davis and Mark C. Lee are no longer the only married couple to have flown to space together. Spouses Sharon and Marc Hagle flew together on Blue Origin's NS-20 in 2022.
 
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{{short description|American engineer and astronaut}}
{{short description|American engineer and astronaut (born 1953)}}
{{For|those of a similar name|Janet Davies (disambiguation)}}
{{For|those of a similar name|Janet Davies (disambiguation)}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2012}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox astronaut
{{Infobox astronaut
| name = Nancy Jan Davis
|name = Jan Davis
| image = Jan Davis.jpg
|image = Jan Davis.jpg
| caption = Davis in 1987
|caption = Davis in 1987
| type = [[NASA]] Astronaut
| nationality = American
| status = Retired
|birth_name = Nancy Jan Smotherman
|birth_name = Nancy Jan Smotherman
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1953|11|1}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|11|1}}
| birth_place = [[Cocoa Beach, Florida]]
|birth_place = [[Cocoa Beach, Florida]], U.S.
|death_date =
| occupation = [[Engineer]]
|death_place =
| selection = [[List of astronauts by selection#1987|1987 NASA Group]]
|education = [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[Auburn University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[University of Alabama, Huntsville]] ([[Master of Science|MS]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| time = 28d 02h 07m
|type = [[NASA astronaut]]
| mission = [[STS-47]], [[STS-60]], [[STS-85]]
|time = 28d 2h 7m
| insignia = [[File:Sts-47-patch.png|48px]] [[File:Sts-60-patch.png|45px]] [[File:Sts-85-patch.png|35px]]}}
|selection = [[NASA Astronaut Group 12|NASA Group 12 (1987)]]
|mission = [[STS-47]]<br>[[STS-60]]<br>[[STS-85]]
|insignia = [[File:Sts-47-patch.png|48px]] [[File:Sts-60-patch.png|45px]] [[File:Sts-85-patch.png|35px]]
}}
'''Nancy Jan Davis''' ({{nee|'''Smotherman'''}}; born November 1, 1953) is a former American [[astronaut]]. A veteran of three space flights, Davis logged over 673 hours in space. She is now retired from [[NASA]].<ref name="WNHT-shuttle-anniversary">{{cite web|title=Remembering Huntsville Astronaut Jan Davis' First Space Shuttle Flight|url=http://whnt.com/2013/07/16/remembering-huntsville-astronaut-jan-davis-first-space-shuttle-flight/|website=WHNT News|date=July 16, 2013|access-date=April 19, 2016|archive-date=February 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210062135/http://whnt.com/2013/07/16/remembering-huntsville-astronaut-jan-davis-first-space-shuttle-flight/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bio-NASA">{{cite web |author1=Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |author1-link=Johnson Space Center |title=N. Jan Davis |url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/davis_n-jan.pdf |website=Biographical Data |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507075332/https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/davis_n-jan.pdf |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |location=[[Houston, Texas]] |date=January 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>


== Early life ==
'''Nancy Jan Davis''' ({{nee|'''Smotherman'''}}; born November 1, 1953) is a former American [[astronaut]]. A veteran of three space flights, Davis logged over 673 hours in space. She is now retired from [[NASA]].<ref name="WNHT-shuttle-anniversary">{{cite web|title=Remembering Huntsville Astronaut Jan Davis' First Space Shuttle Flight|url=http://whnt.com/2013/07/16/remembering-huntsville-astronaut-jan-davis-first-space-shuttle-flight/|website=WHNT News|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="bio-NASA">{{cite web |author1=Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |author1-link=Johnson Space Center |title=N. Jan Davis |url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/davis_n-jan.pdf |website=Biographical Data |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507075332/https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/davis_n-jan.pdf |archive-date=7 May 2021 |location=[[Houston, Texas]] |format=PDF |date=January 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Nancy Jan Davis was born in [[Cocoa Beach, Florida]], but considers [[Huntsville, Alabama]], to be her hometown.


She graduated from [[Huntsville High School (Alabama)|Huntsville High School]] in 1971,<ref name="Enginering-hallfame">{{cite web|title=N. Jan Davis|url=http://aehof.eng.ua.edu/members/n-jan-davis/|website=State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame|access-date=April 19, 2016|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910101045/http://aehof.eng.ua.edu/members/n-jan-davis/|url-status=live}}</ref> received a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Biology|applied biology]] from the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] in 1975 and another in [[mechanical engineering]] from [[Auburn University]] in 1977.<ref name="Enginering-hallfame" /> She received a [[Master of Science]] degree in 1983 and a [[doctorate]] in 1985, both in mechanical engineering at the [[University of Alabama in Huntsville]].<ref name="UAH1">{{cite web|last1=Lachance|first1=Diane|title=College of Engineering alumna Dr. Jan Davis on UAH, space, and tomorrow's astronauts|url=http://www.uah.edu/news/people/college-of-engineering-alumna-dr-jan-davis-on-uah-space-and-tomorrow-s-astronauts|website=University of Alabama Huntsville|date=November 14, 2013|access-date=April 19, 2016|archive-date=April 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420215929/http://www.uah.edu/news/people/college-of-engineering-alumna-dr-jan-davis-on-uah-space-and-tomorrow-s-astronauts|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Early life==
Nancy Jan Davis was born in [[Cocoa Beach, Florida]], but considers [[Huntsville, Alabama]], to be her hometown. The former spouse of astronaut [[Mark C. Lee]], she is currently married to Judge Schuyler Richardson.<ref>{{citation |title=Madison County, AL, Probate Record # 20061214300023740}}</ref>

==Education==
She graduated from [[Huntsville High School (Alabama)|Huntsville High School]] in 1971,<ref name="Enginering-hallfame">{{cite web|title=N. Jan Davis|url=http://aehof.eng.ua.edu/members/n-jan-davis/|website=State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> received a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in applied [[biology]] from the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] in 1975 and another in [[mechanical engineering]] from [[Auburn University]] in 1977.<ref name="Enginering-hallfame"/> She received a [[Master of Science]] degree in 1983 and a [[doctorate]] in 1985, both in mechanical engineering at the [[University of Alabama in Huntsville]].<ref name="UAH1">{{cite web|last1=Lachance|first1=Diane|title=College of Engineering alumna Dr. Jan Davis on UAH, space, and tomorrow's astronauts|url=http://www.uah.edu/news/people/college-of-engineering-alumna-dr-jan-davis-on-uah-space-and-tomorrow-s-astronauts|website=University of Alabama Huntsville|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref>

==Awards==
She has been awarded the [[NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal]] in 1998,<ref name="Ellis2004">{{cite book|author=Lee Ellis|title=Who's who of NASA Astronauts|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofnasaast0000elli|url-access=registration|year=2004|publisher=Americana Group Publishing|isbn=978-0-9667961-4-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofnasaast0000elli/page/53 53]–}}</ref> the [[NASA Exceptional Service Medal]] in 1995 and 2002,<ref name="bio-NASA" /> and the [[NASA Space Flight Medal]] in 1992, 1994, and 1997, the NASA Fellowship for Full-Time Study in 1983, the ASME National Old Guard Prize in 1978, the ASME Ralph Coates Roe Medal in 2001. She has been inducted to the [[Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame]], the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame,<ref name="Enginering-hallfame" /> and the [[Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive]].<ref name="Auburn-accolades">{{cite web|title=Lifetime Achievement Award|url=http://www.eng.auburn.edu/about/awards/lifetime-achievement-awards.html|website=Auburn University|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref>


== Engineering career ==
== Engineering career ==
After graduating from [[Auburn University]] in 1977, Davis joined [[Texaco]] in [[Bellaire, Texas]], working as a [[petroleum engineer]] in tertiary oil recovery. She left there in 1979 to work for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center as an [[aerospace engineer]]. In 1986, she was named as team leader in the Structural Analysis Division, and her team was responsible for the [[structural analysis]] and verification of the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] (HST), the HST maintenance mission, and the [[Chandra X-ray Observatory|Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility]]. In 1987, she was also assigned to be the lead engineer for the redesign of the solid rocket booster external tank attach ring. Davis did her graduate research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, studying the long-term strength of pressure vessels due to the [[viscoelasticity|viscoelastic]] characteristics of filament-wound [[composite materials|composites]]. She holds one patent, has authored several technical papers, and is a Registered Professional Engineer.{{cn|date=December 2020}}
After graduating from [[Auburn University]] in 1977, Davis joined [[Texaco]] in [[Bellaire, Texas]], working as a [[petroleum engineer]] in tertiary oil recovery. She left there in 1979 to work for NASA's [[Marshall Space Flight Center]] as an [[aerospace engineer]]. In 1986, she was named as team leader in the Structural Analysis Division, and her team was responsible for the [[structural analysis]] and verification of the [[Hubble Space Telescope]] (HST), the HST maintenance mission, and the [[Chandra X-ray Observatory|Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility]]. In 1987, she was also assigned to be the lead engineer for the redesign of the solid rocket booster external tank attach ring. Davis did her graduate research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, studying the long-term strength of pressure vessels due to the [[viscoelasticity|viscoelastic]] characteristics of filament-wound [[composite materials|composites]]. She holds one patent, has authored several technical papers, and is a Registered Professional Engineer.<ref name="bio-NASA"/>


== Astronaut career ==
== Astronaut career ==
Davis became an astronaut in June 1987.<ref name="bio-NASA" /> Her first assignment was in the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch, where she provided technical support for [[Space Shuttle]] payloads.<ref name="Ellis2004"/> Following this, Davis was a CAPCOM in Mission Control, responsible for communicating with Shuttle crews for seven missions. After her first space flight, Davis served as the Astronaut Office representative for the [[Remote Manipulator System]] (RMS), with responsibility for RMS operations, training, and payloads. After her second space flight, she served as the Chairperson of the NASA Education Working Group and as Chief for the Payloads Branch, which provided Astronaut Office support for all Shuttle and [[International Space Station]] payloads. A veteran of three space flights, Davis has logged over 673 hours in space. She flew as a mission specialist on [[STS-47]] in 1992 and [[STS-60]] in 1994, and was the payload commander on [[STS-85]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacefacts.de//bios/astronauts/english/davis_nancy.htm|title=Astronaut Biography: Nancy Davis|first=Joachim|last=Becker|website=www.spacefacts.de}}</ref>
Davis became an astronaut in June 1987.<ref name="bio-NASA" /> Her first assignment was in the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch, where she provided technical support for [[Space Shuttle]] payloads.<ref name="Ellis2004" /> Following this, Davis was a CAPCOM in Mission Control, responsible for communicating with Shuttle crews for seven missions. After her first space flight, Davis served as the Astronaut Office representative for the [[Remote Manipulator System]] (RMS), with responsibility for RMS operations, training, and payloads. After her second space flight, she served as the Chairperson of the NASA Education Working Group and as Chief for the Payloads Branch, which provided Astronaut Office support for all Shuttle and [[International Space Station]] payloads. A veteran of three space flights, Davis has logged over 673 hours in space. She flew as a mission specialist on [[STS-47]] in 1992 and [[STS-60]] in 1994, and was the payload commander on [[STS-85]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacefacts.de//bios/astronauts/english/davis_nancy.htm|title=Astronaut Biography: Nancy Davis|first=Joachim|last=Becker|website=www.spacefacts.de|access-date=January 30, 2006|archive-date=August 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822190830/http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/davis_nancy.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>


=== STS-47===
=== STS-47 ===
[[STS-47]], [[Spacelab]]-J, was the 50th Space Shuttle mission. Launched on September 12, 1992,<ref name="NSA-archive">{{cite web|title=Space Shuttle Mission Archives|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/list_1992.html|website=NASA|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> this cooperative venture between the United States and Japan conducted 43 experiments in life sciences and materials processing. During the eight-day mission, she was responsible for operating Spacelab and its subsystems and performing a variety of experiments. Davis's then-husband [[Mark C. Lee]] was payload commander on [[STS-47]]. After completing 126 orbits of the Earth, [[STS-47]] {{OV|Endeavour|full=no}} landed at [[Kennedy Space Center]] on September 20, 1992.<ref name="STS-47">{{cite web |last1=Ryba |first1=Jeanne |title=STS-47 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-47.html |website=Mission Archives |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506152903/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-47.html |archive-date=6 May 2021 |date=2 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[STS-47]], [[Spacelab]]-J, was the 50th Space Shuttle mission. Launched on September 12, 1992,<ref name="NSA-archive">{{cite web|title=Space Shuttle Mission Archives|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/list_1992.html|website=NASA|access-date=April 19, 2016|archive-date=June 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628201815/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/list_1992.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> this cooperative venture between the United States and Japan conducted 43 experiments in life sciences and materials processing. During the eight-day mission, she was responsible for operating Spacelab and its subsystems and performing a variety of experiments. Davis's then-husband [[Mark C. Lee]] was payload commander on [[STS-47]]. After completing 126 orbits of the Earth, [[STS-47]] {{OV|Endeavour|full=no}} landed at [[Kennedy Space Center]] on September 20, 1992.<ref name="STS-47">{{cite web |last1=Ryba |first1=Jeanne |title=STS-47 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-47.html |website=Mission Archives |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506152903/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-47.html |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |date=April 2, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== STS-60===
=== STS-60 ===
[[STS-60]] was the second flight of [[Spacehab]] (Space Habitation Module) and the first flight of the [[Wake Shield Facility]] (WSF). Launched on February 3, 1994, this flight was the first Space Shuttle flight on which a Russian [[cosmonaut]] was a crew member. During the eight-day mission, her prime responsibility was to maneuver the WSF on the RMS, to conduct [[thin-film deposition|thin film crystal]] growth and she was also responsible for performing scientific experiments in the Spacehab. The STS-60 {{OV|Discovery|full=no}} landed at Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1994, after completing 130 orbits of the Earth.<ref name="STS-60">{{cite web |last1=Ryba |first1=Jeanne |title=STS-60 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-60.html |website=Mission Archives |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507073626/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-60.html |archive-date=7 May 2021 |date=31 March 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[STS-60]] was the second flight of [[Spacehab]] (Space Habitation Module) and the first flight of the [[Wake Shield Facility]] (WSF). Launched on February 3, 1994, this flight was the first Space Shuttle flight on which a Russian [[cosmonaut]] was a crew member. During the eight-day mission, her prime responsibility was to maneuver the WSF on the RMS, to conduct [[thin-film deposition|thin film crystal]] growth and she was also responsible for performing scientific experiments in the Spacehab. The STS-60 {{OV|Discovery|full=no}} landed at Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1994, after completing 130 orbits of the Earth.<ref name="STS-60">{{cite web |last1=Ryba |first1=Jeanne |title=STS-60 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-60.html |website=Mission Archives |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507073626/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-60.html |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |date=March 31, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>


=== STS-85===
=== STS-85 ===
[[File:Astronaut N. Jan Davis on the aft flight deck of Discovery on STS-85.jpg|thumb|Davis operating the RMS during on STS-85]]
Davis was the payload commander for [[STS-85]], which was launched on ''Discovery'' on August 7, 1997. During this 12-day mission, Davis deployed and retrieved the [[CRISTA-SPAS]] payload, and operated the Japanese Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic arm. The mission also included several other scientific payloads for the conduct of research on [[astronomy]], [[Earth sciences]], [[life sciences]], and [[materials science]]. The mission was accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7 million miles. The STS-85 ''Discovery'' landed at Kennedy Space Center on August 19, 1997.<ref name="STS-85">{{cite web |last1=Ryba |first1=Jeanne |title=STS-85 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-85.html |website=Mission Archives |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507071612/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-85.html |archive-date=7 May 2021 |date=23 November 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Davis was the payload commander for [[STS-85]], which was launched on ''Discovery'' on August 7, 1997. During this 12-day mission, Davis deployed and retrieved the [[CRISTA-SPAS]] payload, and operated the Japanese Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic arm. The mission also included several other scientific payloads for the conduct of research on [[astronomy]], [[Earth sciences]], [[life sciences]], and [[materials science]]. The mission was accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7 million miles. The STS-85 ''Discovery'' landed at Kennedy Space Center on August 19, 1997.<ref name="STS-85">{{cite web |last1=Ryba |first1=Jeanne |title=STS-85 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-85.html |website=Mission Archives |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507071612/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-85.html |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |date=November 23, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>


== Later NASA career ==
== Later NASA career ==
[[File:20240202 Jan Davis KSC 542A1326.jpg|thumb|Jan Davis in 2024.]]
After her flight on STS-85, Davis was assigned to NASA Headquarters as the Director of the [[Human Exploration and Development of Space]] (HEDS), Independent Assurance Office for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. In that position, Davis managed and directed independent assessments for the programs and projects assigned to the HEDS enterprise. In July 1999, she transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center as Director of the Flight Projects Directorate, which was responsible for the International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Center, ISS hardware and the [[Chandra X-Ray Observatory]] Program. After the {{OV|Columbia|full=no}} [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|accident]], she was named head of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, where she assured the safe return to flight of the Space Shuttle. Davis retired from NASA in 2005 and worked for [[Jacobs Engineering Group]] as a Vice President and Deputy General Manager. She currently works for Bastion Technologies, Inc. as the Safety and Mission Assurance Support Contract Program Manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center.{{cn|date=December 2020}}
After her flight on STS-85, Davis was assigned to NASA Headquarters as the Director of the [[Human Exploration and Development of Space]] (HEDS), Independent Assurance Office for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. In that position, Davis managed and directed independent assessments for the programs and projects assigned to the HEDS enterprise. In July 1999, she transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center as Director of the Flight Projects Directorate, which was responsible for the International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Center, ISS hardware and the [[Chandra X-Ray Observatory]] Program. After the {{OV|Columbia|full=no}} [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|accident]], she was named head of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, where she assured the safe return to flight of the Space Shuttle.<ref name="bio-NASA"/> Davis retired from NASA in 2005 and worked for [[Jacobs Engineering Group]] as a Vice President and Deputy General Manager.<ref name="bio-NASA"/> She currently works for Bastion Technologies, Inc. as the Safety and Mission Assurance Support Contract Program Manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center.<ref>{{cite news|title=Astronaut, alumna Jan Davis ('83, '85) to deliver UAH fall commencement address|date=November 28, 2018|first1=Joyce|last1=Anderson-Maples|url=https://www.uah.edu/news/campus/astronaut-alumna-jan-davis-eighty-three-to-eighty-five-to-deliver-uah-fall-commencement-address|publisher=University of Alabama at Huntsville|access-date=January 15, 2023|archive-date=January 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116000603/https://www.uah.edu/news/campus/astronaut-alumna-jan-davis-eighty-three-to-eighty-five-to-deliver-uah-fall-commencement-address|url-status=live}}</ref>


==References==
==Personal life==
Davis married fellow astronaut [[Mark C. Lee]], in January 1991.<ref>{{cite news |last=Anderson |first=Susan Heller |title=Chronicle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/07/style/chronicle-428791.html |accessdate=March 19, 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 7, 1991 |archive-date=March 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320145443/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/07/style/chronicle-428791.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They were the first married couple to fly together in space, joined in 2022 by Sharon and Marc Hagle on Blue Origin's NS-20. They divorced in 1999.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Meet The Only Married Couple To Fly Together In Space |url=https://time.com/4218472/astronaut-couples-valentines-day/ |access-date=2022-06-22 |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622182021/https://time.com/4218472/astronaut-couples-valentines-day/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

She is currently married to former Judge Schuyler Richardson.<ref>{{citation |title=Madison County, AL, Probate Record # 20061214300023740}}</ref>

== Medals and honors ==
She has been awarded the [[NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal]] in 1998,<ref name="Ellis2004">{{cite book|author=Lee Ellis|title=Who's who of NASA Astronauts|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofnasaast0000elli|url-access=registration|year=2004|publisher=Americana Group Publishing|isbn=978-0-9667961-4-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofnasaast0000elli/page/53 53]–}}</ref> the [[NASA Exceptional Service Medal]] in 1995 and 2002,<ref name="bio-NASA" /> and the [[NASA Space Flight Medal]] in 1992, 1994, and 1997, the NASA Fellowship for Full-Time Study in 1983, the ASME National Old Guard Prize in 1978, the ASME Ralph Coates Roe Medal in 2001. She has been inducted to the [[Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame]], the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame,<ref name="Enginering-hallfame" /> and the [[Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive]].<ref name="Auburn-accolades">{{cite web|title=Lifetime Achievement Award|url=http://www.eng.auburn.edu/about/awards/lifetime-achievement-awards.html|website=Auburn University|access-date=April 19, 2016|archive-date=February 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210062318/http://www.eng.auburn.edu/about/awards/lifetime-achievement-awards.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{cite web|title=Biographical Data|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/davis_n-jan.pdf|website=NASA|publisher=NASA|access-date=January 18, 2021|date=January 2006}}
* {{cite web|title=Biographical Data|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/davis_n-jan.pdf|website=NASA|access-date=January 18, 2021|date=January 2006}}


{{NASA Astronaut Group 12}}
{{NASA Astronaut Group 12}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Jan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Jan}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
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[[Category:Living people]]
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[[Category:American astronauts]]
[[Category:American women astronauts]]
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[[Category:20th-century American engineers]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers]]
[[Category:NASA civilian astronauts]]
[[Category:NASA civilian astronauts]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle program astronauts]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Latest revision as of 02:54, 22 November 2024

Jan Davis
Davis in 1987
Born
Nancy Jan Smotherman

(1953-11-01) November 1, 1953 (age 71)
EducationGeorgia Institute of Technology (BS)
Auburn University (BS)
University of Alabama, Huntsville (MS, PhD)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Time in space
28d 2h 7m
SelectionNASA Group 12 (1987)
MissionsSTS-47
STS-60
STS-85
Mission insignia

Nancy Jan Davis (née Smotherman; born November 1, 1953) is a former American astronaut. A veteran of three space flights, Davis logged over 673 hours in space. She is now retired from NASA.[1][2]

Early life

[edit]

Nancy Jan Davis was born in Cocoa Beach, Florida, but considers Huntsville, Alabama, to be her hometown.

She graduated from Huntsville High School in 1971,[3] received a Bachelor of Science degree in applied biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1975 and another in mechanical engineering from Auburn University in 1977.[3] She received a Master of Science degree in 1983 and a doctorate in 1985, both in mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.[4]

Engineering career

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After graduating from Auburn University in 1977, Davis joined Texaco in Bellaire, Texas, working as a petroleum engineer in tertiary oil recovery. She left there in 1979 to work for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center as an aerospace engineer. In 1986, she was named as team leader in the Structural Analysis Division, and her team was responsible for the structural analysis and verification of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the HST maintenance mission, and the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility. In 1987, she was also assigned to be the lead engineer for the redesign of the solid rocket booster external tank attach ring. Davis did her graduate research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, studying the long-term strength of pressure vessels due to the viscoelastic characteristics of filament-wound composites. She holds one patent, has authored several technical papers, and is a Registered Professional Engineer.[2]

Astronaut career

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Davis became an astronaut in June 1987.[2] Her first assignment was in the Astronaut Office Mission Development Branch, where she provided technical support for Space Shuttle payloads.[5] Following this, Davis was a CAPCOM in Mission Control, responsible for communicating with Shuttle crews for seven missions. After her first space flight, Davis served as the Astronaut Office representative for the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), with responsibility for RMS operations, training, and payloads. After her second space flight, she served as the Chairperson of the NASA Education Working Group and as Chief for the Payloads Branch, which provided Astronaut Office support for all Shuttle and International Space Station payloads. A veteran of three space flights, Davis has logged over 673 hours in space. She flew as a mission specialist on STS-47 in 1992 and STS-60 in 1994, and was the payload commander on STS-85 in 1997.[6]

STS-47

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STS-47, Spacelab-J, was the 50th Space Shuttle mission. Launched on September 12, 1992,[7] this cooperative venture between the United States and Japan conducted 43 experiments in life sciences and materials processing. During the eight-day mission, she was responsible for operating Spacelab and its subsystems and performing a variety of experiments. Davis's then-husband Mark C. Lee was payload commander on STS-47. After completing 126 orbits of the Earth, STS-47 Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center on September 20, 1992.[8]

STS-60

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STS-60 was the second flight of Spacehab (Space Habitation Module) and the first flight of the Wake Shield Facility (WSF). Launched on February 3, 1994, this flight was the first Space Shuttle flight on which a Russian cosmonaut was a crew member. During the eight-day mission, her prime responsibility was to maneuver the WSF on the RMS, to conduct thin film crystal growth and she was also responsible for performing scientific experiments in the Spacehab. The STS-60 Discovery landed at Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1994, after completing 130 orbits of the Earth.[9]

STS-85

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Davis operating the RMS during on STS-85

Davis was the payload commander for STS-85, which was launched on Discovery on August 7, 1997. During this 12-day mission, Davis deployed and retrieved the CRISTA-SPAS payload, and operated the Japanese Manipulator Flight Demonstration (MFD) robotic arm. The mission also included several other scientific payloads for the conduct of research on astronomy, Earth sciences, life sciences, and materials science. The mission was accomplished in 189 Earth orbits, traveling 4.7 million miles. The STS-85 Discovery landed at Kennedy Space Center on August 19, 1997.[10]

Later NASA career

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Jan Davis in 2024.

After her flight on STS-85, Davis was assigned to NASA Headquarters as the Director of the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS), Independent Assurance Office for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. In that position, Davis managed and directed independent assessments for the programs and projects assigned to the HEDS enterprise. In July 1999, she transferred to the Marshall Space Flight Center as Director of the Flight Projects Directorate, which was responsible for the International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Center, ISS hardware and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Program. After the Columbia accident, she was named head of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall, where she assured the safe return to flight of the Space Shuttle.[2] Davis retired from NASA in 2005 and worked for Jacobs Engineering Group as a Vice President and Deputy General Manager.[2] She currently works for Bastion Technologies, Inc. as the Safety and Mission Assurance Support Contract Program Manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center.[11]

Personal life

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Davis married fellow astronaut Mark C. Lee, in January 1991.[12] They were the first married couple to fly together in space, joined in 2022 by Sharon and Marc Hagle on Blue Origin's NS-20. They divorced in 1999.[13]

She is currently married to former Judge Schuyler Richardson.[14]

Medals and honors

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She has been awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal in 1998,[5] the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 1995 and 2002,[2] and the NASA Space Flight Medal in 1992, 1994, and 1997, the NASA Fellowship for Full-Time Study in 1983, the ASME National Old Guard Prize in 1978, the ASME Ralph Coates Roe Medal in 2001. She has been inducted to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame, the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame,[3] and the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Remembering Huntsville Astronaut Jan Davis' First Space Shuttle Flight". WHNT News. July 16, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (January 2006). "N. Jan Davis" (PDF). Biographical Data. Houston, Texas: NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "N. Jan Davis". State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  4. ^ Lachance, Diane (November 14, 2013). "College of Engineering alumna Dr. Jan Davis on UAH, space, and tomorrow's astronauts". University of Alabama Huntsville. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Lee Ellis (2004). Who's who of NASA Astronauts. Americana Group Publishing. pp. 53–. ISBN 978-0-9667961-4-8.
  6. ^ Becker, Joachim. "Astronaut Biography: Nancy Davis". www.spacefacts.de. Archived from the original on August 22, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2006.
  7. ^ "Space Shuttle Mission Archives". NASA. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  8. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (April 2, 2010). "STS-47". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  9. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (March 31, 2010). "STS-60". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  10. ^ Ryba, Jeanne (November 23, 2007). "STS-85". Mission Archives. NASA. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Anderson-Maples, Joyce (November 28, 2018). "Astronaut, alumna Jan Davis ('83, '85) to deliver UAH fall commencement address". University of Alabama at Huntsville. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  12. ^ Anderson, Susan Heller (March 7, 1991). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  13. ^ "Meet The Only Married Couple To Fly Together In Space". Time. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  14. ^ Madison County, AL, Probate Record # 20061214300023740
  15. ^ "Lifetime Achievement Award". Auburn University. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
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