Aviation Chronology: 1980s Entries in grey refer to aviation and world events achievements not specific to women. Entries in white refer to women's achievements. Birthdates of female pilots/groundcrew, etc. are not given individual entries, but listed in the first entry for each woman. Reference works are cited by code numbers, identified in the Bibliography.

Name	Date(s)	Notes	Bibliography
1980	1980	1980	1980
Jacqueline Cochran	August 9, 1980	Jacqueline Cochran dies at the age of 74 in Indio, California.	.
1981	1981	1981	1981
American space exploration	April 12, 1981	The space shuttle Columbia makes its first flight into space, and is designated STS (Space Transport System 1): STS-1. The launch occurs 20 years to the day after the first manned space flight - that of Yuri Gagarin, on April 12, 1961. Complete shuttle crew John W. Young - Commander Robert Crippen - Pilot	.
American space exploration	April 14, 1981	The space shuttle Columbia returns from its first mission in outer spac, reached an orbital altitude of 166 nautical miles. The purpose is only to test out the shuttle's readiness. Complete shuttle crew John W. Young - Commander Robert Crippen - Pilot	.
American space exploration	November 12, 1981	The space shuttle Columbia makes its second flight into space, and is designated STS-2. Complete shuttle crew Joseph H. Engle - Commander Richard H. Truly - Pilot	.
American space exploration	November 14, 1981	The space shuttle Columbia returns safely to Earth. Complete shuttle crew Joseph H. Engle - Commander Richard H. Truly - Pilot	.
1982	1982	1982	1982
American space exploration	March 22, 1982	The space shuttle Columbia makes its third flight into space. Complete shuttle crew Jack Lousma - Commander C. Gordon Fullerton - Pilot	.
American space exploration	March 30, 1982	The space shuttle Columbia returns safely from its third flight into space. Complete shuttle crew Jack Lousma - Commander C. Gordon Fullerton - Pilot	.
American space exploration	June 27, 1982	The space shuttle Columbia makes its fourth flight into space. Complete shuttle crew Thomas K. Mattingly - Commander Henry W. Hartsfield (1) - Pilot	.
American space exploration	July 4, 1982	The space shuttle Columbia returns from its fourth flight into space. Complete shuttle crew Thomas K. Mattingly - Commander Henry W. Hartsfield (1) - Pilot	.
American space exploration	November 11, 1982	The space shuttle Columbia makes its fifth flight into space. Complete shuttle crew Vance D. Brand - Commander Robert F. Overmyer - Pilot Joseph P. Allen - Mission Specialist William B. Lenoir - Mission Specialist	.
American space exploration	November 16, 1982	The space shuttle Columbia returns from its fifth flight into space. Complete shuttle crew Vance D. Brand - Commander Robert F. Overmyer - Pilot Joseph P. Allen - Mission Specialist William B. Lenoir - Mission Specialist	.
1983	1983	1983	1983
American space exploration	April 4, 1983	The space shuttle Challenger makes its first flight into space, the sixth flight of the shuttle overall. Complete shuttle crew Paul J. Weitz - Commander Karol J. Bobko - Pilot Donald H. Peterson - Mission Specialist F. Story Musgrave - Mission Specialist	.
American space exploration	April 9, 1983	The space shuttle Challenger returns from its first flight into space, the sixth flight of the shuttle overall. Complete shuttle crew Paul J. Weitz - Commander Karol J. Bobko - Pilot Donald H. Peterson - Mission Specialist F. Story Musgrave - Mission Specialist	.
Sally Ride	June 18, 1983	Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space, when she flies aboard the Challenger mission STS-7, from June 18 - June 24, 1983. Complete shuttle crew Robert L. Crippen - Commander Frederick H. Hauck - Pilot John M. Fabian - Mission Specialist Sally K. Ride - Mission Specialist Norman E. Thagard - Mission Specialist	.
Sally Ride	June 24, 1983	The space shuttle Challenger safely returns to Earth. Complete shuttle crew Robert L. Crippen - Commander Frederick H. Hauck - Pilot John M. Fabian - Mission Specialist Sally K. Ride - Mission Specialist Norman E. Thagard - Mission Specialist	.
American space exploration	August 30, 1983	The space shuttle Challenger launches on its mission, the eighth shuttle flight. Guion Bluford is the first African-American astronaut to fly into space. Complete shuttle crew Richard H. Truly - Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein - Pilot Dale A. Gardner - Mission Specialist Guion S. Bluford, Jr. - Mission Specialist William E. Thornton - Mission Specialist	.
American space exploration	November 28, 1983	The space shuttle Columbia makes its sixth flight into space, the ninth flight of the shuttle overall. Complete shuttle crew John W. Young - Commander Brewster H. Shaw - Pilot Owen K. Garriott - Mission Specialist Robert A. Parker - Mission Specialist Ulf Merbold (ESA, West Germany) - Payload Specialist Byron K. Lichtenberg - Payload Specialist	.
American space exploration	December 8, 1983	The space shuttle Columbia returns safely from its sixth flight into space, the ninth flight of the shuttle overall. Complete shuttle crew John W. Young - Commander Brewster H. Shaw - Pilot Owen K. Garriott - Mission Specialist Robert A. Parker - Mission Specialist Ulf Merbold (ESA, West Germany) - Payload Specialist Byron K. Lichtenberg - Payload Specialist	.
1984	1984	1984	1984
American space exploration	February 3, 1984	The space shuttle Challenger makes its fourth flight into space, the tenth flight of the shuttle overall. Space shuttle flight 10 had been cancelled due to payload delays. This should have been STS-11, however the numbering designation of the flights was changed, and this became STS-41-B. The 4 stands for the year 1984, the 1 stands for the launch site (1=Kennedy Space Center (KSC), 2= Vandenburg), and the letter = the flight chronology in the year. "A" had been cancelled, so this is "B". This numbering system just makes a whole lot of sense, doesn't it? Complete shuttle crew Vance D. Brand - Commander Robert L. Gibson - Pilot Bruce McCandless II - Mission Specialist Ronald E. McNair - Mission Specialist (2nd African-American in space) Robert L. Stewart - Mission Specialist	.
American space exploration	February 11, 1984	The space shuttle Challenger returns from its fourth flight into space, the tenth flight of the shuttle overall. Complete shuttle crew Vance D. Brand - Commander Robert L. Gibson - Pilot Bruce McCandless II - Mission Specialist Ronald E. McNair - Mission Specialist (2nd African-American in space) Robert L. Stewart - Mission Specialist	.
American space exploration	August 3, 1984	The space shuttle Discovery makes its first flight into space, and is designated STS-41-D. Complete shuttle crew Henry Hartsfield, Jr. - Commander Michael Coats - Pilot Judith Resnik - Mission Specialist Steven Hawley - Mission Specialist Richard Mullane - Mission Specialist Charles Walker - Payload Specialist	.
Sally Ride/ Kathryn Sullivan	October 5, 1984	Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to go into space twice, and Kathryn Sullivan will become the first American woman to spacewalk, aboard Challenger STS-41G. Complete shuttle crew Robert L. Crippen - Commander Jon A. McBride - Pilot Kathryn D. Sullivan - Mission Specialist Sally K. Ride - Mission Specialist David C. Leestma - Mission Specialist Marc Garneau (Canada) - Payload Specialist Paul D. Scully-Power - Payload Specialist	.
Sally Ride/ Kathryn Sullivan	October 13, 1984	The space shuttle Challenger STS-41G, returns safely. Complete shuttle crew Robert L. Crippen - Commander Jon A. McBride - Pilot Kathryn D. Sullivan - Mission Specialist Sally K. Ride - Mission Specialist David C. Leestma - Mission Specialist Marc Garneau (Canada) - Payload Specialist Paul D. Scully-Power - Payload Specialist	.
Anna Fisher	November 8, 1984	The space shuttle Discovery (STS-51-A) makes its second flight. Complete shuttle crew Frederick Hauck - Commander David M. Walker - Pilot Anna Fisher - Mission Specialist Dale Gardner - Mission Specialist Joseph P. Allen - Mission Specialist	.
Anna Fisher	November 16, 1984	The space shuttle Discovery (STS-51-A) returns to Earth. Complete shuttle crew Frederick Hauck - Commander David M. Walker - Pilot Anna Fisher - Mission Specialist Dale Gardner - Mission Specialist Joseph P. Allen - Mission Specialist	.
1985	1985	1985	1985
American space exploration	January 4, 1985	The space shuttle Discovery launches into space, in the 15th flight of a shuttle. Complete shuttle crew Thomas "Ken" Mattingly - Commander Loren Shriver - Pilot Ellison S. Onizuka - Mission Specialist James Buchli - Mission Specialist Gary Payton - Payload Specialist	.
American space exploration	January 7, 1985	The space shuttle Discovery returns safely to Earth. Complete shuttle crew Thomas "Ken" Mattingly - Commander Loren Shriver - Pilot Ellison S. Onizuka - Mission Specialist James Buchli - Mission Specialist Gary Payton - Payload Specialist	.
Margaret Rhea Seddon	April 12, 1985	The space shuttle Discovery launches into space, in the 16th flight of a shuttle. Complete shuttle crew Karol J. Bobko - Commander Donald E. Williams - Pilot Margaret Rhea Seddon - Mission Specialist Jeffrey A. Hoffman - Mission Specialist S. David Griggs - Mission Specialist Charles D. Walker - Payload Specialist Jake Garn - Payload Specialist	.
American space exploration	April 29, 1985	The space shuttle Challenger makes its seventh flight - which is the 17th spach shuttle flight overall. The flight is designated STS 51-B. Complete shuttle crew Robert F. Overmyer - Commander Frederick D. Gregory - Pilot Don L. Lind - Mission Specialist Norman E. Thagard - Mission Specialist William E. Thornton - Mission Specialist Lodewijk van den Berg - Payload Specialist Taylor G. Wang - Payload Specialist	.
American space exploration	May 6, 1985	The space shuttle Challenger returns safely to Earth. Complete shuttle crew Robert F. Overmyer - Commander Frederick D. Gregory - Pilot Don L. Lind - Mission Specialist Norman E. Thagard - Mission Specialist William E. Thornton - Mission Specialist Lodewijk van den Berg - Payload Specialist Taylor G. Wang - Payload Specialist	.
Shannon Lucid	June 17, 1985	The space shuttle Discovery makes its fifth flight into space, and the 18th shuttle flight overall. Complete shuttle crew Daniel C. Brandenstein - Commander John O. Creighton - Pilot Shannon W. Lucid - Mission Specialist John M. Fabian - Mission Specialist Steven R. Nagel - Mission Specialist Patrick Baudry (CNES, France) - Payload Specialist Sultan Salman Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) - Payload Specialist	.
Shannon Lucid	June 24, 1985	The space shuttle Discovery safely returns to Earth. Complete shuttle crew Daniel C. Brandenstein - Commander John O. Creighton - Pilot Shannon W. Lucid - Mission Specialist John M. Fabian - Mission Specialist Steven R. Nagel - Mission Specialist Patrick Baudry (CNES, France) - Payload Specialist Sultan Salman Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) - Payload Specialist	.
American space exploration	October 3, 1985	The space shuttle Atlantis makes its first flight into space, and is designated STS-51-J. Complete shuttle crew Karol J. Bobko - Commander Ronald J. Grabe - Pilot David C. Hilmers - Mission Specialist Robert L. Stewart - Mission Specialist William A. Pailes - Payload Specialist	.
1986	1986	1986	1986
Christa McAuliffe/ Judith Resnick	January 28, 1986	The space shuttle Challenger breaks up 73 seconds after launch, killing all those on board. Gregory Jarvis Christa McAuliffe Ronald McNair Ellison Onizuka Judith Resnik Dick Scobee Michael J. Smith	.
1987	1987	1987	1987
Sally Ride	1987	Sally Ride leaves NASA to work at the Stanford University Center for International Security and Arms Control.	.
1988	1988	1988	1988
American space exploration	September 29, 1988	The space shuttle Discovery makes its first flight after the Challenger disaster, STS-26. The complete crew Frederick H. Hauck - Commander Richard O. Covey - Pilot John M. Lounge - Mission Specialist George D. Nelson - Mission Specialist David C. Hilmers - Mission Specialist	.
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1989	1989	1989	1989
Sally Ride	1989	Sally Ride becomes a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego and Director of the California Space Institute.	.