Shannon Lucid’s Record-Setting Mission Aboard Mir - NASA

2 min read Shannon Lucid’s Record-Setting Mission Aboard Mir NASA History Office NASA History Office Sep 23, 2026 Image Article Astronaut Shannon W. Lucid checked on wheat plants aboard Russia’s Mir Space Station on Sept. 23, 1996. Lucid left Mir later that day along with the rest of the STS-79 crew except for John E. Blaha, who was beginning a four-month stay aboard the station. NASA Shannon Lucid’s Record-Setting Mission Aboard Mir Three days before returning to Earth, Shannon W. Lucid—who joined NASA in 1978 as one of its first six female astronauts—checked in on wheat growing in the Svet greenhouse aboard the Russian space station Mir. For six months, Lucid lived and worked alongside two Russian cosmonauts conducting life science studies and other experiments in microgravity. Lucid returned to Earth aboard space shuttle Atlantis on Sept. 26, 1996, completing a 188-day mission—a new record for both a woman and for an American. Lessons from her time on Mir helped NASA prepare for the psychological and cultural challenges of long-duration missions on the International Space Station.  In December 1996, President Bill Clinton awarded Shannon Lucid the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for her achievement. She was the tenth person and the first woman to receive this award. After her mission on Mir, Lucid continued to serve NASA in key roles on the ground. She worked as a CAPCOM in Mission Control, where she was the primary voice communicating with astronauts in orbit. Later, she served as NASA’s Chief Scientist, helping guide the agency’s science priorities. Lucid retired from NASA in 2012 after a career that spanned more than three decades. Learn more about Shannon Lucid’s early life and her NASA career through her NASA oral history interviews Share Details Last Updated Sep 23, 2026 Related Terms NASA History Shannon W. Lucid Shuttle-Mir STS-79 — Company newsroom — sourced from NASA. Matter furnished by the company. Not a Notice Nearby paid placement. This page reprints matter furnished by the company from its official newsroom. Notice Nearby did not write this release. Read the original: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/shannon-lucids-record-setting-mission-aboard-mir