Date of Birth	Born February 26, 1958, in Charlotte, North Carolina, but considers Portland, Oregon, to be her hometown
Childhood / Family	Her parents Lt. Col. Pat and Duri Helms, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Marital Status: Single
Education	Graduated from Parkrose Senior High School, Portland, Oregon, in 1976; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics/Astronautics from Stanford University in 1985.
Occupation	She is the flight test engineer and the project officer.
Military Service / Civilian	Air Force Colonel
Space Training / Specialty	She was in the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980 and she was at the Eglin Air Force Base.
Contribution to Space Travel	Col. Susan Helms was the first U.S. military woman in space in 1993 and the first woman to inhabit the International Space Station in 2001. She is co-holder of the world record, along with her crewmate Army Col. Jim Voss, for the longest space walk of eight hours and 56 minutes. She is now the chief of the space control division at Air Force Space Command. She also was the first female amateur radio operator to communicate directly with hams on the ground via amateur radio from the space station.
Space Missions	She was part of the following missions: STS-54 Endeavour, STS-64 Discovery, STS-78 Colombia, STS-101 Atlantis and STS-105
Outside Activities	She enjoys piano and other musical activities, jogging, traveling, reading, computers, and cooking.
Interesting Fact(s)	Helms has logged over 5,064 hours in space, including an activity of 8 hours and 56 minutes-a world record. She plays the keyboard in a rock-n-roll band.
Status	April 2004 vice commander of Patrick Air Force Base's 45th Space Wing
Images	Col . Susan Helms was the first U.S. to inhabit the
Links	http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/helms.html http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/iss_freetime_010615.html http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/people/astronauts/helms.html http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/helms_susan.htm http://www.spacekids.com/spacenews/helms_000419.html http://www.astronautix.com/astros/helms.htm http://www.keepingapace.com/blogarchives/technology/female_pioneer_of_last_frontier.php http://www.af.mil/history/person.asp?dec=1990&pid=123006503

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