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the SH-2 Seasprite on operations,
Lawrence was also one of the first two
female helicopter pilots to make a
long deployment to the Indian Ocean
as part of a carrier battle group. Her
naval flying career would see her fly
more than 1,500 hours and make
more than 800 shipboard landings,
achieving the rank of captain.
Continuing her studies, Lawrence
earned a Master of Science Degree
in Ocean Engineering from MIT
and the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution. Still determined to join the
astronaut program, she was selected
by NASA for astronaut training in
1992 and it was a day that she recalls.
“The phone call from NASA was
very exciting and almost unbelievable,”
she told Australian Aviation.
“But it was also a little frustrating
because I was told that I couldn’t
share the news with anyone for 24
hours because the US Congress had to
approve the selection of the new class
of astronaut candidates. Trust me, that
was a very long 24-hour period!”
She would go on to spend more
than 51 days in space over the course
of her four space shuttle missions
A LITTLE CLOSER STS-114. Lawrence also trained as
aboard STS-67, STS-86, STS-91 and
a crewmember for a Mir mission.
Beyond spaceflight, Lawrence held
various jobs within NASA and the
Astronaut Office to include flight
TO THE STARS software verification in the Shuttle
Avionics Integration Lab (SAIL),
Director of Operations Russia in Star
City, Russia at the Gagarin Cosmonaut
Training Centre (GCTC) and
Astronaut Office representative for ISS
crew training and support.
The first female Naval Academy
An interview n that day in July of 1969, naval aviator during the Vietnam graduate to become an astronaut,
when Neil Armstrong stepped
War, surviving as a prisoner-of-war
her career beyond NASA has seen
off the lunar module’s ladder
with astronaut O and became the first human alongside the late Senator John Lawrence dedicated to inspiring the
next generation to ‘dare to dream’, just
McCain. He would subsequently
Wendy to kick up moon dust, the world rise to the rank of Vice-Admiral as she did in 1969.
watched on in awe. In one living room
and among many other significant
Lawrence in the United States, that amazing achievements, he would command From sea level to space
feat inspired a young girl who would
the US Navy’s Third Fleet and serve
Lawrence reflects that viewing Earth
subsequently go on to forge her own as Superintendent of the US Naval from the space shuttle for the first
WRITER: OWEN ZUPP frontiers in the sky. That 10-year-old’s Academy. time, “drove home the fact that my
name was Wendy Lawrence. Wendy Lawrence graduated from dream of flying in space had finally
the Naval Academy in 1981 with a come true”.
The path to the stars Master of Science degree in Ocean It had been a long journey, born in
The dawn of the space age saw many Engineering, on only the second childhood and pursued through years
children aspire to be an astronaut, course to include females. She would of dedication and study.
but to realise that dream called for subsequently earn the naval aviator’s On being asked whether
a healthy dose of determination and prized ‘Wings of Gold’ in 1982. Flight serving with the Navy was part
drive. Lawrence was no stranger to school had seen her fly the Beechcraft of a predetermined plan towards
such qualities as worthy role models T-34 Mentor, the TH-57 Sea Ranger the ultimate goal of becoming an
existed within her own family. Her and the UH-1 Huey, before seeing astronaut, and whether there were
mother’s father had flown during service as a naval helicopter pilot on any specific courses within the Navy
World War 2, while her father, a number of shipboard deployments. she pursued, Lawrence is wonderfully
William P Lawrence, had been a Flying the H-46 Sea Knight and straightforward.

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