Norman Thagard

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Norman Thagard
Born	Norman Earl Thagard (1943-07-03) July 3, 1943 (age 81) Marianna, U.S.
Education	Florida State University (BS) University of Texas, Dallas (MD) University of Florida (MBA)
Space career
NASA astronaut
Rank	Captain, US Marine Corps
Time in space	140 days, 13 hours and 24 minutes
Selection	NASA Group 8 (1978)
Missions	STS-7 STS-51-B STS-30 STS-42 Soyuz TM-21/STS-71 (Mir EO‑18)
Mission insignia
Retirement	January 3, 1996

Norman Earl Thagard (born July 3, 1943; Capt, USMC, Ret.) is an American scientist and former U.S. Marine Corps officer and naval aviator and NASA astronaut. He is the first American to ride to space on board a Russian vehicle, and can be considered the first American cosmonaut. He did this on March 14, 1995, in the Soyuz TM-21 spacecraft for the Russian Mir-18 mission.