CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Discovery’s space-station visit took a pop-cultural turn Thursday when one of the four record-breaking female astronauts went on talk radio from orbit to chat about her career, iPod selections and even her hairdo.
Stephanie Wilson was a good sport as she answered questions from nationally syndicated talk-show host Tom Joyner, whose shows are broadcast on . He noted there are more women in orbit right now than ever before, then asked: “Did you get your hair done before you went up in space?” Wilson threw back her head and laughed.
“Of course, I always try to represent NASA as best I can,” she said. “So hopefully, I’m looking pretty good.”
Wilson, among only a handful of black women to fly in space, turned serious when talking about how she got into “the business of space shuttling” and how parents can encourage their children to follow her example. The 43-year-old engineer said it was important to study hard and be exposed to as many opportunities as possible, in order to “dream big dreams.”
She’s one of three women, including Coloradan Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, who flew up on Discovery and joined one already at the international space station, making for the biggest female crowd ever to circle the planet.
