Dr. Judith “Judy” Arlene Resnik was the first Jewish woman to travel into space, existing as a symbol of scientific ambition and cultural identity beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1949, she was raised by two Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. Resnik was a Bat Mitzvah who celebrated Shabbat with her family growing up, and attended Hebrew school. A biomedical engineer and NASA astronaut, Resnik paved the way for space exploration. In 1986, Resnik, along with six others, perished in the Challenger disaster. She was known to be academically gifted from a young age and devoted to her family’s Jewish traditions, a combination that shaped her career and legacy.
Resnik was described by childhood friends as incredibly intelligent and talented; she even skipped kindergarten because she could already read and do math by the age of five. She attended Carnegie Mellon and graduated with her bachelor’s in electrical engineering. She is also a University of Maryland alum, earning her master’s degree in engineering and working on her PhD. Resnik was known for her intelligence and dedication to science. After graduation, she worked at the Radio Corporation of America as an engineer designing support for NASA’s rockets and telemetry systems. She was also a biomedical engineer at the National Institutes of Health before she joined NASA as an astronaut.
Resnik applied to NASA’s space program in the late 1970s, and at 29, she was one of six women accepted into the space program. She was on the maiden voyage of the space shuttle Discovery in the summer of 1984, making her the first Jewish woman in space, and the second American woman. On this mission, Resnik had the title of mission specialist. As an expert in robotics, she operated a robotic arm to deploy solar panels from the ship to capture energy and launched three satellites. She and her team also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, revolutionizing space exploration and research. She logged a total of 144 hours in orbit. Aboard the Discovery, mission commander Henry Hartfield described Resnik as “an astronaut’s astronaut… not satisfied with second best.”
Interestingly, IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren relieved Resnik of her obligation to light Shabbat candles in her six-day mission on the Discovery shuttle.
Resnik’s father recalls that before the maiden voyage of the Discovery, a Jewish newspaper approached Judith, but she declined to say that she was Jewish because she was no longer observant. She said to her dad, “Dad, I don’t want to be a Jewish astronaut, I don’t want to be a Jewish woman astronaut, I just want to be an astronaut, period. I just want to go out in space and do my job.” She wanted to be known for her work as a scientist rather than a single aspect of her identity. But in the years since her death, she has become remembered as a scientific pioneer within the Jewish community. Her legacy has become a broader story of representation that she herself chose not to emphasize in her career.
She said, “astronauts don’t have to be either very feminine or very masculine women, or very superhuman males, or any color or anything. It’s about people in space.”
In 1986, Resnik was set to take off in the Challenger shuttle, their team’s mission was to deploy more satellites; observe Halley’s comet and perform more experiments in orbit. The Challenger launch was a particularly special mission. It was a part of NASA’s Teacher in Space Project, where Christa McAuliffe was set to be the first teacher in space. Guion “Guy” Bluford Jr., who also made history as the first Black astronaut, was also on the Challenger Shuttle; it would have been his fifth space flight.
Tragically, on January 28, 1986, the Challenger exploded just 73 seconds into its takeoff. All seven astronauts on board lost their lives. According to NASA, the disaster was caused by O-ring seal joints that did not properly prevent hot gases from escaping and damaging the rocket structure. This was concluded to be due to cold temperatures that impaired the O-rings’ ability from properly sealing. Some engineers had voiced concerns about the cold temperatures on the morning of the launch, but their concerns were ignored.
The Challenger disaster is ingrained in the American public memory as an immense tragedy, but the legacy of Judith Resnik extends far beyond that day. She is remembered for her brilliance, perseverance and sheer bravery. As one of the first women, and the first Jewish woman, to travel into space, she redefined who can belong in the field of science, especially beyond our atmosphere.
In the years following the Challenger disaster, Resnik’s memory and achievements have been honored through numerous memorials. In 2004, she was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, a prestigious award for astronauts who have made significant contributions to space exploration. Multiple scholarships in her name across America give the opportunity to young women to pursue careers in aviation, engineering and aerospace science. In 1988, a crater was named Resnik, which sits in the Apollo basin on the far side of the moon.
Childhood friend Barbara Rodunner said after her death, “she was part of NASA; NASA was part of her. We thought it was a wonderful thing.”
Judith Resnik’s memory lives on not only as a piece of national tragedy but as a source of inspiration. Her legacy resonates with advancements in space exploration, but also with the Jewish community, where she continued to honor her origins while literally reaching for the stars. Honoring the dead is a key aspect in Judaism, and in doing so, we recognize those whose legacies continue to inspire.
