Mary Helen Johnston | |
|---|---|
 Johnston in 1985 | |
| Born | September 17, 1945 West Palm Beach, Florida, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Scientist, astronaut |
| Awards | NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (1982) |
| Space career | |
| Selection | Spacelab-3 (1983) |
| Missions | STS-51-B |
| Retirement | May 6, 1985 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Florida State University (BS; MS) University of Florida (PhD) |
| Thesis | Effect of gravity forces on crystal growth parameters in tin (1973) |
| Doctoral advisor | David Hale Baldwin |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Engineering |
| Sub-discipline | Laser-induced surface improvement |
| Institutions | University of Tennessee Space Institute Florida Institute of Technology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Materials science (metallurgical engineering), Aerospace engineering, Laser research, Hydrogen research |
Mary Helen Johnston (born September 17, 1945), later also Mary Helen McCay, is an American scientist and former astronaut. Working with NASA as an engineer in the 1960s and '70s, Johnston aspired to be an astronaut; she unsuccessfully applied in 1980 before becoming a payload specialist in 1983. Johnston retired from NASA in 1986 without having gone to space. She is a professor at Florida Institute of Technology.