Missouri History Today June 2, 1998: Astronaut Dr. Janet Lynn Kavandi takes off on the first of her three missions into space. 

Dr. Janet Lynn Kavandi was selected as a NASA astronaut in December, 1994 as a member of the 15th class of U.S. astronauts. She orbited the earth a total of 535 times. 

Kavandi graduated from Carthage Senior High School, Missouri Southern State College, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.  

She would go on to serve as director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

Based upon content from the Missouri State Archives, Timeline of Missouri History.  

Photo credit: Jametlene  Reskp, Unsplash