Page 29 - World Airnews Magazine March 2021

WOMEN IN
AVIATION

every class, especially math and science, and Her mother was at the Kennedy Space hometown, the way the picturesque hills
seemed to conquer anything she put her Centre in Florida watching the sudden and and streams lined the Brazos River.
mind to. She managed to get all of her high unexpected tragedy in person. She told her what it was like to see

school credits by the time she was 16. Hughes-Fulford's launch slated for May lightning storms from space, how it looked

She went on to college at Tarleton 1991 was delayed one last time due to like cobwebs "stretching across entire

State University, graduate school at Texas concerns over equipment, and Herzog was continents," Abernathy said.

Women's University and in 1972 became unable to get the time off of work to see it During one phone conversation last fall,

a postdoctoral fellow at Southwestern in person. But she witnessed her safe return she recalled they talked about how the

Medical School in Dallas, where she started to Earth, as well as the warm reception she only geo-political border visible from space
her career of medical research. She also received in the coming days and weeks. that's not water is the Great Wall of China.
spent about 14 years as a member of the Mineral Wells hosted a Millie Hughes- "Visiting with Millie was like that,"

US Army Reserve Medical Corps. Fulford Day that year that featured a couple Abernathy said. "She always enhanced your
Cleveland recalled in the early 1980s of crowded galas where she was honoured point of view."
when she was picked to be part of the and presented with a key to the city. Herzog was with her mother for the past
NASA space programme. Hughes-Fulford She hung out with Cleveland, her 11 months as they avoided COVID, stuck
couldn't contain her excitement about the childhood friend, and requested they do together "in a bubble," she said.

daunting challenge ahead of her. something they hadn't done since they were The mother and daughter would fill their

"Back then, girls didn't have an kids - have a slumber party and talk all night. days by going on long car rides or taking
opportunity to do those things," Cleveland "I got to visit with her for a long time," up tasks like cleaning out Hughes-Fulford's

said. "But she dreamed about it, and then Cleveland said. "I asked her if she was ever cluttered garage. They went on a trip to the

her dream became a reality." afraid. She said no." zoo once when it opened back up. Hughes-
Hughes-Fulford moved her family to The nine-day flight, which brought Fulford liked to keep her mind active all the

Houston in the August of 1984 so she could Hughes-Fulford attention and praise, was time. They were together, every day, until

begin her training, getting her body ready far from the end of her time with NASA. She Hughes-Fulford died. The loss has been

for the intense g-force of the launch and oversaw several experiments that went to hard on her family, who knew this would
the lack of gravity in space. It was a big the International Space Station, focused on be coming someday due to her diagnosis

time commitment. medical topics such as the impact of space but are still having trouble coming to terms

Herzog recalled her mother was so on bone cell growth, according to NASA. She with her absence. Herzog was able to

busy she hardly had time for anything but and colleagues in 2013 demonstrated for note that her mother has finally stopped

training, though she checked in every day the first time that microgravity was the root working for a second.

over the phone. She taught her daughter, cause of failing T-cells, the white blood cells "She always said, 'I'm going to retire,' and

then 16 years old, to copy her signature that offer immune defence. I was like, 'Yeah, I'll believe it when I see
perfectly so she could sign forms for school Friends of hers from North Texas said her it,'" Herzog said, laughing.
herself, Herzog said with a laugh. career based in California didn't cause her Herzog said the family had not made

She said she knew why her mother had to to lose ties to her hometown, where her plans for a funeral service due to the
work, and felt she been raised by a mother parents owned a grocery store and later difficulties with COVID – at the time

who wanted her to be independent. her mother was a school teacher. of going to press. They said that they

But it wasn't always easy to have a mother Lela J. Abernathy, a long-time friend from intended on putting a headstone in

as an astronaut, like when she watched Palo Pinto, said in a Facebook message she Woodland Park Cemetery in Mineral

the Challenger shuttle explode into streaks kept up with Hughes-Fulford despite the Wells, where her parents are buried. They
of smoke and debris on TV on January 28, distance. Hughes-Fulford would always will spread her ashes on the ground, as
1986. She later learned the ill-fated rocket bring something special to their phone she wanted.
booster on the Challenger, which had crucial conversations - whether it was telling her In lieu of flowers, the family is asking

flaws in its O-ring seals, would have been the right way to harvest an apricot, or for donations to Stand Up To Cancer. For

used on Hughes-Fulford's mission had it not how cellular biology relates to the COVID further information go to www.star-

been delayed from its original launch date. pandemic. She spoke lovingly of her telegram.com. Q
World Airnews | March 2021
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