News Sally Ride, First American woman in space has died aged 61

[Urwumpe]

Alan Shepard died of leukemia, what is a "classical" radiation cancer I believe.

Not automatically - Leukemia can also be caused by other factors. The chance that a case of leukemia is caused by radiation is higher today though.

But chance is much higher than you get the radiation dose on the ground than in space. Especially in the case of Alan Shepard, who had spend only 216 hours in space and had no Leukemia in the following 24 years.

 

[N_Molson]

Yeah about cancer statistics, there are counter-examples too.

That man logged 371 days in space, is today 72 years old and in good health AFAIK.

Valery V. Ryumin in 1998 before STS-91.

 

[ky]

She was an innovator and a inspiration to others.

RIP Sally Ride

 

[Urwumpe]

Yeah about cancer statistics, there are counter-examples too.

Many counter examples, especially if you look at the fact that John Glenn and Scott Carpenter are still alive and as far as I can tell, at good health.

Astronauts are a too small number to make any useful statistics about such rare events like cancer rates.

 

[FADEC]

I found a list of all dead U.S. astronauts. I don't know if this list is correct. Obviously cancer is one of the least possible ways to die for astronauts. Seems that riding aboard a U.S. spacecraft is one of the most likely ways to die. Followed by heart attacks and plane crashes...

http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/l_astro.asp

Yeah about cancer statistics, there are counter-examples too.

That man logged 371 days in space, is today 72 years old and in good health AFAIK.

Valery V. Ryumin in 1998 before STS-91.

Rjumin doesn't count! He is a Russian tiger who can take a lot more radiation, alcohol etc. than normal people :lol:

I remember a documentary about the last days of Mir. One NASA astronaut told how funny it was to see this big man, with his big hands, trying to get into his space suit, which already was a custom build.

He already was retired as an astronaut until STS-91 as far as I know. But he wanted to visit Mir to convince himself that the days of Mir were over, almost 20 years after his last stay in space

 

[Scav]

She was (and still is, really) one of my childhood heroes.

 

[Ripley]

RIP Sally Ride.