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Wendy "Too Short" Lawrence Fan Page

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WENDY LAWRENCE IS IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MYSPACE PAGE!!! THIS IS A FAN PAGE ONLY!! Wendy Barrien Lawrence (born July 2, 1959) is a Captain in the U.S. Navy, a helicopter pilot, an engineer, and a former NASA astronaut. She was the first female graduate of the US Naval Academy to fly in space and she has also visited the Russian Space Station Mir. She was a mission specialist on STS-114, the first Shuttle flight after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. EARLY LIFE: Lawrence was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She is the daughter and the grand-daughter of US Navy pilots. Her father was vice admiral William P. Lawrence.ASTRONAUT CAREER: Astronaut Group: NASA Group 14 - 1992. Inactive Entered space service: 31 March 1992. Left space service: June 2006. Number of Flights: 4.00. Total Time: 51.16 days.EDUCATION: * 1977: Graduated from Fort Hunt High School, Alexandria, Virginia * 1981: Received a bachelor of science degree in ocean engineering from United States Naval Academy * 1988: Received a master of science degree in ocean engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) ORGANIZATIONS: * Phi Kappa Phi * Association of Naval Aviation * Women Military Aviators * Naval Helicopter Association SPECIAL HONORS: * Defense Superior Service Medal * Defense Meritorious Service Medal * NASA Space Flight Medal * Navy Commendation Medal * Navy Achievement Medal * Recipient of the National Navy League’s Captain Winifred Collins Award for inspirational leadership (1986). MILITARY CAREER: Lawrence graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981. A distinguished flight school graduate, she was designated as a naval aviator in July 1982. Lawrence has more than 1,500 hours flight time in six different types of helicopters and has made more than 800 shipboard landings. While stationed at Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SIX (HC-6), she was one of the first two female helicopter pilots to make a long deployment to the Indian Ocean as part of a carrier battle group. After completion of a master’s degree program at MIT and WHOI in 1988, she was assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light THIRTY (HSL-30) as officer-in-charge of Detachment ALFA. In October 1990, Lawrence reported to the U.S. Naval Academy where she served as a physics instructor and the novice women’s crew coach. NASA CAREER: Selected by NASA in March 1992, Lawrence reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992. She completed one year of training and was qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Her technical assignments within the Astronaut Office have included flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), Astronaut Office Assistant Training Officer, and Astronaut Office representative for Space Station training and crew support. She flew as the ascent/entry flight engineer and blue shift orbit pilot on STS-67 (March 2-18, 1995). She next served as Director of Operations for NASA at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, with responsibility for the coordination and implementation of mission operations activities in the Moscow region for the joint U.S./Russian Shuttle/Mir program. In September 1996 she began training as a backup crew member for a 4-month mission on the Russian Space Station Mir. Because of her knowledge and experience with Mir systems and with crew transfer logistics for the Mir, she flew on STS-86 (September 25 to October 6, 1997) and STS-91 (June 2-12, 1998). A veteran of four space flights, she logged over 1200 hours in space. Lawrence was a Mission Specialist on the crew of STS-114. She was in charge of the transfer of supplies and equipment and operated the Space Station robotic arm on the Return To Flight mission during which the crew tested and evaluated new procedures for the inspection and repair of the Shuttle Thermal Protection System. The mission launched on July 26, 2005 and landed on August 9, 2005. [1][2][3][4][5][6]Captain Lawrence retired from NASA in June 2006. SPACEFLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-67 Endeavour (March 2-18, 1995) was the second flight of the ASTRO observatory, a unique complement of three telescopes. During this 16-day mission, the crew conducted observations around the clock to study the far ultraviolet spectra of faint astronomical objects and the polarization of ultraviolet light coming from hot stars and distant galaxies. Mission duration was 399 hours and 9 minutes.STS-86 Space Shuttle Atlantis (September 25 to October 6, 1997) was the seventh mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Highlights included the exchange of U.S. crew members Mike Foale and David Wolf, a spacewalk by Scott Parazynski and Vladimir Titov to retrieve four experiments first deployed on Mir during the STS-76 docking mission, the transfer to Mir of 10,400 pounds of science and logistics, and the return of experiment hardware and results to Earth. Mission duration was 169 orbits in 259 hours and 21 minutes.STS-91 Discovery (June 2-12, 1998) was the 9th and final Shuttle-Mir docking mission and marked the conclusion of the joint U.S./Russian Phase I Program. Mission duration was 235 hours, 54 minutes.STS-114 Discovery (July 26-August 9, 2005) was the first "Return to Flight" mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Highlights included the first in-flight repair to the orbiter during a spacewalk. Mission duration was 333 hours, 33 minutes. WENDY LAWRENCE SPACE FLIGHT LOG: * 2 March 1995 Flight: STS-67. Flight Up: STS-67. Flight Back: STS-67. Flight Time: 16.63 days.* 26 September 1997 Flight: STS-86. Flight Up: STS-86. Flight Back: STS-86. Flight Time: 10.81 days.* 2 June 1998 Flight: STS-91. Flight Up: STS-91. Flight Back: STS-91. Flight Time: 9.83 days.* 26 July 2005 Flight: STS-114. Flight Up: STS-114. Flight Back: STS-114. Flight Time: 13.90 days.WENDY LAWRENCE CHRONOLOGY: 5 December 1992 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 14 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Four pilots and 15 mission specialists, nine civilians and ten military. Chosen from 2054 applicants, 87 of which screened in December 1991/January 1992. Five additional international astronauts. 2 March 1995 - STS-67. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-67. Carried Astro 2 astronomy payload with 3 UV telescopes.(attached to Endeavour).Payloads: Ultraviolet Astronomy (ASTRO) 2; Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE); Protein Crystal Growth—Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-TES) 03; Protein Crystal Growth—Single-Locker Thermal Enclosure System (PCG-STES) 02; Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Minilab/Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc. Experiments (CMIX) 03; Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) II; two getaway special experiments. 18 March 1995 - Landing of STS-67. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-67. STS-67 landed at 21:48 GMT. 26 September 1997 - STS-86. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-86, Mir NASA-5, Mir NASA-4, Mir EO-24. Atlantis was launched on a mission to the Russian Mir space station. The TI rendevous terminal initiation burn was carried out at 17:32 GMT on September 27, and Atlantis docked with the SO (Docking Module) on the Mir complex at 19:58 GMT. The crew exchange was completed on September 28, with David Wolf replacing Michael Foale on the Mir crew. On October 1 cosmonaut Titov and astronaut Parazynski conducted a spacewalk from the Shuttle payload bay while Atlantis was docked to Mir. They retrieved four MEEP (Mir Environmental Effects Payload ) exposure packages from Mir's SO module and installed the Spektr solar array cap. The MEEP experiments had been attached to the Docking Module by astronauts Linda Godwin and Rich Clifford during Shuttle mission STS-76 in March 1996. In addition to retrieving the MEEP, Parazynski and Titov were to continue an evaluation of the Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER), a small jet-backpack designed for use as a type of life jacket during station assembly.Atlantis undocked from Mir at 17:28 GMT on October 3 and conducted a flyaround focused on the damaged Spektr Module to determine the location of the puncture in its hull. The Mir crew pumped air into the Spektr Module using a pressure regulator valve, and the Shuttle crew observed evidence that, as expected, the leak seemed to be located at the base of the damaged solar panel. Final separation of Atlantis from Mir took place around 20:28 GMT. After two landing attempts were waved off on October 5 due to heavy cloud cover, the crew fired the engines to deorbit at 20:47 GMT on October 6 and landed at Kennedy Space Center at 21:55. 6 October 1997 - Landing of STS-86. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-86, Mir NASA-5, Mir NASA-4, Mir EO-24. STS-86 landed at 21:55 GMT with the crew of Wetherbee, Bloomfield, Titov Vladimir, Parazynski, Chretien, Lawrence and Foale aboard. 2 June 1998 - STS-91. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-91, Mir NASA-6, Mir EO-25. The final shuttle-Mir mission, STS-91 recovered NASA astronaut Andy Thomas from the Mir station and took Russian space chief and ex-cosmonaut Valeri Ryumin to Mir for an inspection tour of the ageing station. This was the first test of the super lightweight Aluminium-Lithium alloy external tank, designed to increase shuttle payload to the Mir / International Space Station orbit by 4,000 kg. At 22:15 GMT Discovery entered an initial 74 x 324 km x 51.6 deg orbit, with the OMS-2 burn three quarters of an hour later circulising the chase orbit. Discovery docked with the SO module on Mir at 17:00 GMT on June 4. NASA equipment was retrieved from the station, and Discovery undocked at 16:01 GMT on June 8, and landed on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 18:00 GMT on June 12. 12 June 1998 - Landing of STS-91. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-91, Mir NASA-6, Mir EO-25. STS-91 landed at 18:00 GMT with the crew of Precourt, Gorie, Lawrence, Chang-Diaz, Kavandi, Ryumin and Thomas Andrew aboard. 19 February 2004 - STS-120 (cancelled). Assignment: Proposed Prime Crew. Flight: STS-120A. Flight delayed after the Columbia disaster. STS-120 was to have flown ISS Assembly mission ISS-10A. It would have delivered to the station the second of three station connecting modules, Node 2. With this mission the redefined ISS US Core would have been completed. 26 July 2005 - STS-114. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-114, ISS EO-11. Return to flight after loss of Columbia. Delayed extensively as NASA attempted to fix the external tank foam-shedding problem that resulted in the loss of Columbia (first planned for September 12, 2004, the launch slipped to March; May 14, 15 and 22; July 13, 2005). Discovery safely reached orbit at a total mass of 121,485 kg, but extensive video coverage detected external tank foam shedding during ascent. Discovery docked at the Pirs module of the ISS on 28 July 28 at 11:18 GMT. Following replenishment of the station (using the Raffaello MPLM-6 module with 8240 kg of supplies), a series of spacewalks verified the integrity of the shuttle's heat shield and tested repair techniques, Discovery undocked from the ISS at 07:24 GMT on 6 August and landed safely on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base at 12:11 GMT on 9 August. However the shuttle fleet was immediately grounded again while NASA attempted to find a permanent fix to the external tank foam woes. 26 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #01. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery launched into a clear Florida sky this morning, returning the Shuttle fleet to space and beginning a journey of exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond.Discovery lifted off at 9:39 a.m. central time today following a flawless countdown. ...more... 27 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #03. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery crewmembers completed a camera survey of the heat shields of the leading edges of the orbiter's wings and its nose cone Wednesday. They also began preparations for Thursday's docking with the International Space Station and the mission's spacewalks.Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, ...more... 27 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #02. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. The crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery has awakened to its first full day in space. Today it will focus on thermal protection system inspections, preparing for docking to the International Space Station and getting spacesuits ready for three spacewalks.Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, ...more... 27 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #04. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Visitors on a Space Shuttle will arrive at the International Space Station for the first time in over two years today. The Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to catch up and dock to the Station at 6:18 a.m. CDT Thursday.During Discovery's approach to the Station, Commander Eileen Collins will pause ...more... 28 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #06. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. The first full day of joint Space Shuttle and International Space Station operations will be highlighted by installation of a cargo transportation module, additional orbiter heat shield inspections and spacewalk preparations.Discovery's crew was awakened at 10:39 p.m. CDT by the song "Vertigo" by U2 played ...more... 28 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #05. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. The Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station smoothly and right on time Thursday morning, after doing a planned back flip so Station crewmembers could photograph its thermal protection system.Discovery Commander Eileen Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly flew Discovery through the ...more... 29 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #07. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Space Shuttle and International Space Station crewmembers installed the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and began unloading the pressurized cargo carrier Friday. They also carried out a survey of selected areas of Discovery's thermal protection system and continued preparations for Saturday's spacewalk.Engineering analysis continues on the imagery collected so far, but no apparently ...more... 29 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #08. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson will step outside for their first spacewalk, and the first of this mission, early Saturday. The six and a half hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin from Discovery's airlock at 3:44 a.m. CDT.Discovery's crew was awakened at 10:43 p.m. CDT by the Japanese song "Sanpo," sung ...more... 30 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #10. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Transfers of additional water and supplies to the International Space Station will continue Sunday as the crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery begins Flight Day 6. The STS-114 mission was formally extended by one day as mission managers Saturday decided to spend one more day docked to the ISS.Two additional collapsible water containers holding more than 10 gallons each are ...more... 30 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #09. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Space Shuttle Discovery's heat protective tiles and thermal blankets have been pronounced fit for entry after engineers reviewed the imagery and other data to judge their health. Analysis remains on the reinforced carbon-carbon wing leading edges and the protruding gap fillers identified earlier. Aerodynamics experts are evaluating the effect on surface heating that the gap fillers may cause to decide whether any work is necessary to reduce their size.Mission managers today also decided to extend Discovery's mission by one day to ...more... 31 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #11. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. The transfer of equipment and supplies from Discovery to the International Space Station and preparations for Monday's planned spacewalk by Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson were the focus of today's activities in space.Noguchi, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Robinson, along with remaining ...more... 31 July 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #12. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Now spacewalk veterans, Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson will step outside for the second of three planned spacewalks today at 3:14 a.m. CDT. The sole objective of the 6 ½-hour excursion is to replace a failed International Space Station attitude control gyroscope.The pair will have about an hour of setup time after exiting Space Shuttle Discovery's ...more... 1 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #14. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. The Space Shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews will continue transferring equipment and supplies between the two vehicles today. They will also review updated tasks for the third planned spacewalk of the mission.Discovery's crew was awakened at 10:09 p.m. CDT by the song "Big Rock Candy Mountain," ...more... 1 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #13. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. STS-114 mission managers Monday gave the go-ahead for astronauts to remove two protruding gap fillers in Discovery's heat shield during a Wednesday space walk. Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson will attempt to simply pull the thin fabric fillers from between tiles in the forward area of the orbiter's underside. If the pull method is unsuccessful, the two will have tools to cut the material flush with the surface.Spacewalk experts presented a plan to mission managers in Monday's Mission Management ...more... 2 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #16. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. The Space Shuttle Discovery crew begins their ninth day in space with preparations for the third spacewalk of the mission. This extravehicular activity (EVA) was a preplanned activity for the mission, but now includes a new task -- repair of two protruding gap fillers between tiles on the bottom the Shuttle.The crew began the day waking up at 10:09 p.m. CDT to "Where My Heart Will Take ...more... 2 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #15. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Space Shuttle mission managers Tuesday cleared Discovery's wing leading edge heat shield for re-entry as they methodically deal with concerns over the protruding tile gap fillers. The mission management team also discussed a "puffed out" insulating blanket outside the commander's cockpit window and has decided it poses no risk of overheating during entry. Engineers will continue to analyze whether it could pose a debris problem if it came loose during aerodynamic flight.Discovery's astronauts worked much of today on preparations for Wednesday's gap ...more... 3 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #17. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Despite days of anticipation and intense planning, space-walking astronaut Steve Robinson made it look easy as he gently pulled two protruding gap fillers from between thermal protection tiles on Discovery's underside Wednesday morning."It looks like this big patient is cured," Robinson told delighted flight controllers. ...more... 3 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #18. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. After an eventful day supporting the third spacewalk of the mission, a light duty day of transfer activities, special events and time off lies ahead for the Space Shuttle Discovery crew as they begin their tenth day in space.The seven-member Shuttle crew awoke to the well-known country song "Amarillo by ...more... 4 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #20. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Now in their eleventh day of the mission and with three successful spacewalks behind them, the STS-114 crew of Space Shuttle Discovery is slated to begin preparations for undocking and the final day with their International Space Station counterparts. Their activities for the day include final equipment transfers, stowage and return of the robotic arm, boom and cargo container to the Shuttle payload bay."Anchors Aweigh" was the Shuttle crew wake-up song for the day, played at 9:15 p.m. ...more... 4 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #19. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Space Shuttle Discovery's heat shield is cleared for the return to Earth early Monday after mission managers decided today that a fourth spacewalk to deal with a puffed out thermal blanket is unnecessary. Wind tunnel tests overnight at NASA's Ames Research Center in California showed little chance of any significant debris coming from the blanket at supersonic speeds. Further engineering analysis showed any debris released from the blanket was unlikely to hit structures on Discovery.Thursday's Mission Management Team decision put to rest the work that was being ...more... 5 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #21. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery astronauts and their hosts on the International Space Station undocked the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the Station's Unity Node Friday and reberthed it in the Shuttle's cargo bay.Discovery Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi ...more... 6 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #22. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. After more than a week of working together in space, the Space Shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews bid each other farewell tonight.Following a crew farewell ceremony at 11:36 p.m. CDT, hatches between the spacecraft ...more... 6 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #24. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery's astronauts will begin turning their attention toward coming back to Earth Monday by stowing equipment and verifying operation of the orbiter's flight control surfaces and system.The crew was awakened at 7:39 p.m. CDT by "The One and Only Flower in the World" ...more... 6 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #23. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery is flying solo today, following its early morning departure from the International Space Station, concluding nine days of cooperative work between the two crews.Pilot Jim Kelly was at the controls as latches between the two vehicles were released ...more... 7 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #26. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery's Return to Flight mission is scheduled to conclude with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center early Monday morning.Discovery has two opportunities to land at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday. The ...more... 7 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #25. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery's crew is spending what should be its last night in space, with an early morning landing planned Monday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, concluding a voyage of 5.35 million miles.In preparation for tomorrow's 3:47 a.m. CDT landing, Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot ...more... 9 August 2005 - STS-114 MCC Status Report #28. Flight: ISS EO-11, STS-114. Discovery glided to a pre-dawn landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California this morning concluding a journey of 5.8 million miles, touching down at 7:11 a.m. CDT.PERSONAL: She enjoys running, rowing, and triathlons. Captain Lawrence is single.


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My Interests

RUNNING, ROWING, TRIATHLONS, FAMILY. (sts-67) (sts-86) (sts-91) (sts-114)

Music:

Stand Navy out to sea, Fight our Battle Cry; We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y. Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to Victory And sink their bones to Davy Jones, Hooray!Anchors Away, my boys, Anchors Aweigh. Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay. Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam, Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.Blue of the Mighty Deep; Gold of God's Sun Let these colors be till all of time be done, done, done, On seven seas we learn Navy's stern call: Faith, Courage, Service true, with Honor, Over Honor, Over All.-Words by CAPT Alfred H. Miles, USN, 1906. Anchors Aweigh is not an official Navy song. THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, CAPT LAWRENCE!!!!!!!

Movies:

APOLLO 13, SPACE COWBOYS, ARMAGEDDON, THE RIGHT STUFF, G.I. JANE. ANYTHING TO DO WITH SPACE AND THE MILITARY!!! ..

Television:

LAW AND ORDER: CI, LAW AND ORDER: SVU, ANY CRIME/DRAMA. I LOVE ANIMAL PLANET, DISCOVERY CHANNEL, TLC, SCI-FI.

Books:

In 1969, America was riding a wave at war. The West Coast was rich in youth culture. The beach was more than a place; it was a lifestyle.Still, more than 35 years later, Wendy Lawrence, who grew up in Southern California, looks to a place beyond where the sand meets the sky as she prepares to soar into space aboard the next Shuttle. At 10 years old, Lawrence -- like so many young Americans -- watched from her home on a small, black-and-white television as man first walked on the moon. The ridged footprint engraved on the moon's sandy surface inspired her to set her sights higher."That was the moment in time that I decided I wanted to be an astronaut," Lawrence said. "It gave me a purpose; it gave me a direction in which to head."Lawrence knew a solid education would help launch her dream of becoming an astronaut."I could have very easily have fallen into the 'beach bum' lifestyle," she said," but because I had been bitten by the dream of flying into space and becoming an astronaut, I stayed in school."Following her father's footsteps as a naval aviator who flew in the Vietnam War, Lawrence went on to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating with a bachelor's degree in ocean engineering in 1981. She later received her master's degree in ocean engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in 1988.Deemed a naval aviator in 1982, Lawrence has flown more than 1,500 hours in six different types of helicopters and has made more than 800 shipboard landings.Ten years later, she was selected out of the nation's top aviators by NASA to fly aboard the highest-flying aircraft around: the Space Shuttle. Lawrence reported to the Johnson Space Center in the summer of 1992, where she completed a year of flight training and qualified as a mission specialist. Even before joining the Astronaut Corps, Lawrence understood firsthand the dangers of flight as her father and grandfather -- both skilled aviators during wartimes -- experienced their share of unexpected events that can happen."My mother's father flew in World War II," she said. "He was shot down over the Philippines and, fortunately, was rescued. My father was shot down over Vietnam and didn't return until six years later. So, my family understands the risks."A veteran of three spaceflights and fully aware of the potential hazards involved, Lawrence continues her commitment. Her enthusiasm for exploration comes from her childhood attraction to Star Trek and its out-of-this-world fantasies that may one day become real."I'd like to see us move away from low-earth orbit and begin to explore the solar system, just like we've done for centuries exploring the Earth," she said. Moving far beyond the outskirts of Earth's atmosphere will take many bold steps of humankind and the ingenuity of thousands of people on Earth. Returning the Shuttle to flight is one such bold step that will enable a progression of others to follow.After many months of long-hour training sessions, Lawrence readies to board Discovery, a name ever-fitting of its purpose to return to flight. The STS-114 mission will deliver supplies and science equipment to the International Space Station as well as evaluate new ways to inspect and ensure vehicle safety for future Shuttle flights.The Shuttle fleet's return to flight is a major step in a journey of discovery that will last a lifetime."We are by nature explorers," Lawrence said. "You can look at the centuries of history where people were committed to finding new worlds and establishing them. It's time for us to turn our direction on beyond low-earth orbit and do the very same thing."