Learn More About Dr. Rhea Seddon
A Woman of Many Firsts
Dr. Seddon was one of only six women in a class of 100 in medical school and the first woman ever accepted to her General Surgery Residency Program. In 1978, she was selected to one of the first National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut classes to include women. She served as a Mission Specialist on space shuttle flights in 1985 and 1991 and as Payload Commander in charge of all science activities on her final flight in 1993. She would spend 19 years with NASA and a total of 30 days in space.
From Space to Safety
After leaving NASA in 1997, Dr. Seddon was the Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt Medical Group in Nashville for 11 years. There, she led an initiative to improve patient safety, quality of care, and team effectiveness by the use of an aviation-based model of Crew Resource Management. She then helped to found LifeWings Partners, LLC which teaches this concept to healthcare institutions across the United States.
Awards
2005
2015
Rhea was the eighth woman accepted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. She was also accepted into the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame.
2017
Along with her husband and fellow astronaut, Capt. Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Rhea was the recipient of the Great American Leadership award.