Veteran of 5 space shuttle flights dies at 55
NASA astronaut Janice Voss passed away from cancer at the age of 55. One of only six women who have flown in space five times, Voss' career was highlighted by her work and dedication to scientific payloads and exploration.
"As the payload commander of two space shuttle missions, Janice was responsible for paving the way for experiments that we now perform on a daily basis on the International Space Station," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office.
"During the last few years, Janice continued to lead our office's efforts to provide the best possible procedures to crews operating experiments on the station today," Whitson added. "Even more than Janice's professional contributions, we will miss her positive outlook on the world and her determination to make all things better."
Chosen by NASA for the astronaut corps in January 1990, Voss served as mission specialist on five space shuttle missions, including the only repeat flight in the shuttle program's 30-year history. She flew with the first commercial laboratory, rendezvoused with Russia's Mir space station and helped create the most complete digital topographic map of the Earth.
