Kathy Sullivan is now the only woman ever to have reached the deepest point in all of the oceans and walked in space — here's what her career has looked like

Holly SeconJun 12, 2020, 18:23 IST

NASA portrait of astronaut Kathy Sullivan.NASA

Former NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan became the first woman to travel to Challenger Deep, the deepest point in any ocean, on Sunday.
Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space, and also served as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Take a look at Sullivan's record-breaking career.

Former NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan became the first woman and eighth person ever to reach Challenger Deep, the deepest point in any ocean, on Sunday.

It wasn't the first record-breaking moment of her career.

Sullivan, who is now 68, was one of the first women selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1978. She became the first American woman to complete a spacewalk in 1984, outside the Challenger space shuttle.

After her astronaut days ended, Sullivan led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sullivan almost didn't pursue a career in science — when she entered college, she planned to major in languages and become a translator. But she applied to NASA's call for astronauts on a whim, assuming she wouldn't be chosen. Since then, Sullivan's career has taken her to some of the most interesting places on and off of Earth. Here's how she did it.

Kathy Sullivan grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. Her dad was an aerospace engineer, and she was interested in space from a young age.

Kathy Sullivan aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, April 1990. Space Frontiers/Getty

Going into college, Sullivan thought she wanted to be a language major, since she was good at picking up new languages. But in her first year, she took a marine biology class, which pointed her towards the sciences.

Kathryn Sullivan at NASA headquarters in 1980. San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives/Flickr

Going into college, Sullivan thought she wanted to be a language major, since she was good at picking up new languages. But in her first year, she took a marine biology class, which pointed her towards the sciences.

She applied, and after an interview process in Houston, Sullivan was accepted as one of NASA's first six female astronaut candidates.

From left to right: Shannon Lucid, Margaret Seddon, Kathryn Sullivan, Judith Resnik, Anna Fisher, and Sally Ride. NASA selected the six women as its first female astronaut candidates in January 1978. NASA

During her 15 years at NASA, Sullivan flew on three space-shuttle missions and logged 532 hours in space. She was the first American woman to complete a spacewalk.

Sally Ride, right, and Kathryn Sullivan synchronize their watches in the "white room" before entering the shuttle Challenger to launch on mission STS-41G on October 5, 1984. It was the first flight to carry two women into space. NASA

"It feels more like scuba diving than like walking, because you're using your hands to move around on the shuttle or station," Sullivan told Our Daily Planet.

Kathryn Sullivan uses binoculars for a magnified view of Earth through Challenger's forward cabin windows in October 1984. NASA

In April 1990, Sullivan was part of the crew that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. NASA/Getty Images

After leaving NASA in 1993, Sullivan recommitted to her college passion: oceans. She served as chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A 35-mm camera with a fish-eye lens captured this view on Discovery's flight deck, showing Kathryn Sullivan (left) with a Hasselblad camera and Loren Shriver, pen in hand, amending flight data in 1990. NASA Hubble Space Telescope

After leaving NASA in 1993, Sullivan recommitted to her college passion: oceans. She served as chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

President Obama appointed her to serve as NOAA's deputy administrator in 2011, and she became administrator in 2014.

NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan addresses members of the US Coast Guard Officer Candidate Class 2-14 and NOAA Basic Officer Training Class 123 during a graduation ceremony on May 7, 2014. US Coast Guard/Flickr

In 2014, Sullivan was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people.

Time called Kathy Sullivan "The world's weather woman" in 2014. TIME Magazine

On June 7, Sullivan traveled on an expedition to Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the ocean. She became the first woman to reach it.

Challenger Deep lies nearly 7 miles below the Pacific Ocean's surface, within the Mariana Trench about 200 miles southwest of Guam. Google Earth

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Kathy Sullivan is now the only woman ever to have reached the deepest point in all of the oceans and walked in space — here's what her career has looked like

Kathy Sullivan grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. Her dad was an aerospace engineer, and she was interested in space from a young age.

Going into college, Sullivan thought she wanted to be a language major, since she was good at picking up new languages. But in her first year, she took a marine biology class, which pointed her towards the sciences.

She applied, and after an interview process in Houston, Sullivan was accepted as one of NASA's first six female astronaut candidates.

During her 15 years at NASA, Sullivan flew on three space-shuttle missions and logged 532 hours in space. She was the first American woman to complete a spacewalk.

"It feels more like scuba diving than like walking, because you're using your hands to move around on the shuttle or station," Sullivan told Our Daily Planet.

In April 1990, Sullivan was part of the crew that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope.

After leaving NASA in 1993, Sullivan recommitted to her college passion: oceans. She served as chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

President Obama appointed her to serve as NOAA's deputy administrator in 2011, and she became administrator in 2014.

In 2014, Sullivan was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people.

On June 7, Sullivan traveled on an expedition to Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the ocean. She became the first woman to reach it.