NASA Astronaut Patricia Hilliard Robertson died Thursday night as a
result of injuries obtained in the crash of a private plane Tuesday
afternoon. Immediately following the accident, Robertson was transported
to Memorial Hermann Hospital in downtown Houston where she remained in
critical condition until her death.
Robertson was a member of the Astronaut class of 1998 and was assigned
as a Crew Support Astronaut for the Expedition Two crew presently on
board the International Space Station. In that role, she served as an
interface between the Mission Control Center Flight Control Team and the
Astronaut Office on issues related to the Expedition Two crew and, along
with other astronauts, coordinated activities on the ground for the
three crewmembers in space.
She joined NASA’s Flight Medicine Clinic at the Johnson Space Center in
1997 prior to being selected to be an astronaut. In addition to being a
medical doctor, Robertson was a multiengine rated flight instructor with
more than 1,500 hours of flight time.
Flags at the Johnson Space Center will be flown at half-staff today in
her honor.
The family plans to hold a private memorial service. Final funeral
arrangements are pending.
For more biographical details on Robertson and other astronauts, visit
the following website: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/
