Sullivan joined NASA in 1978 as a member of the first shuttle astronaut class.

On her first spaceflight, in October 1984, Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space. In 1990, she flew on the Hubble Space Telescope deployment mission, and in 1992 was payload commander for the ATLAS-1 Spacelab mission.

Sullivan also served as a chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She was appointed to the National Science Board in 2004.

The board, established by Congress as part of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, oversees and establishes NSF policies. It also serves as an independent body of advisers to both the president and Congress on national policy issues related to science and engineering research and education.

The president appoints NSB members, who are confirmed by the Senate. Newly appointed and outgoing members are eligible to serve as consultants to the board and participate in all activities except voting and holding office. Outgoing members can serve as consultants until new members are named by the president.

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