In Memoriam
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Credits
About the Author

Dr. Laurel Blair Salton Clark (Cdr, USN)

 

Born: 10 March 1961, in Iowa, but considers Racine, Wisconsin, to be her hometown.

Education:Graduated from William Horlick High School, Racine Wisconsin in 1979; received bachelor of science degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983 and doctorate in medicine from the same school in 1987.

Marital Status: Married, Jonathon.

Children: Iain.

Other Activities: She enjoyed diving, hiking, camping, biking, parachuting, flying, and traveling.

Professional Organizations: Aerospace Medical Association, Society of U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons.

Awards: Clark and her six crewmates were awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on 3 February 2004.

Special Honors: Navy Commendation Medals (3); National Defense Medal, and Overseas Service Ribbon.

Experience: During medical school she did active duty training with the Diving Medicine Department at the Naval Experimental Diving Unit in March 1987. After completing medical school, Dr. Clark underwent postgraduate Medical education in Pediatrics from 1987-1988 at Naval Hospital Bethesda, Maryland. The following year she completed Navy undersea medical officer training at the Naval Undersea Medical Institute in Groton Connecticut and diving medical officer training at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida, and was designated a Radiation Health Officer and Undersea Medical Officer. She was then assigned as the Submarine Squadron Fourteen Medical Department Head in Holy Loch Scotland. During that assignment she dove with US Navy divers and Naval Special Warfare Unit Two Seals and performed numerous medical evacuations from US submarines. After two years of operational experience she was designated as a Naval Submarine Medical Officer and Diving Medical Officer. She underwent 6 months of aeromedical training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida and was designated as a Naval Flight Surgeon. She was stationed at MCAS Yuma, Arizona and assigned as Flight Surgeon for a Marine Corps AV-8B Night Attack Harrier Squadron (VMA 211). She made numerous deployments, including one overseas to the Western Pacific, practiced medicine in austere environments, and flew on multiple aircraft. Her squadron won the Marine Attack Squadron of the year for its successful deployment. She was then assigned as the Group Flight Surgeon for the Marine Aircraft Group (MAG 13). Prior to her selection as an astronaut candidate she served as a Flight Surgeon for the Naval Flight Officer advanced training squadron (VT-86) in Pensacola, Florida. LCDR Clark is Board Certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and holds a Wisconsin Medical License. Her military qualifications include Radiation Health Officer, Undersea Medical Officer, Diving Medical Officer, Submarine Medical Officer, and Naval Flight Surgeon. She is a Basic Life Support Instructor, Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider, Advanced Trauma Life Support Provider, and Hyperbaric Chamber Advisor.

NASA Experience: Selected by NASA in April 1996, Dr. Clark reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. After completing two years of training and evaluation, she was qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. From July 1997 to August 2000 Dr. Clark worked in the Astronaut Office Payloads/Habitability Branch.

She served as mission specialist -4 on her first and only mission on Columbia STS-107, which launched on 16 January 2003. Laurel and her six crewmates lost their lives when Columbia was destroyed on re-entry on 1 February 2003. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetary on 10 March 2003.

Quotes: "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for."

On seeing a moth open its wings in space: "Life continues in a lot of places, and life is a magical thing."

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