Dr Kathy Sullivan and Victor Vescovo after their dive to Challenger Deep. Photo: Enrique Alvarez

In addition to serving as a crew member on three Space Shuttle missions, Kathryn Sullivan was also the first American woman to walk in space on October 11, 1984. Now, at 68, she has become the first woman to reach the Challenger Deep, about seven miles below the ocean’s surface, the deepest spot in the world’s oceans. 

Kathryn Sullivan became the eight-person to travel 35,810-feet below the surface to the Challenger Deep, descending in the DSV Limiting Factor piloted by Victor Vescovo of Caladan Oceanic.

Last year, Victor Vescovo became the fourth person in history to reach Challenger Deep as part of his Five Deeps Expedition; over the course of 7 days, his team made 5 dives in the Mariana Trench.

Shortly after returning to the surface, EYOS Expeditions coordinated a call between the International Space Station (ISS) and the DSSV Pressure Drop, the mothership of submersible DSV Limiting Factor. 

In a statement from EYOS Expeditions, Kathy Sullivan said, “As a hybrid oceanographer and astronaut this was an extraordinary day, a once in a lifetime day, seeing the moonscape of the Challenger Deep and then comparing notes with my colleagues on the ISS about our remarkable reusable inner-space outer-spacecraft.”

Victor Vescovo said, “We made some more history today… and then got to share the experience with kindred spirits in the ISS. It was a pleasure to have Kathy along both as an oceanographer during the dive, and then as an astronaut to talk to the ISS.”

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.