Culture

An unsung astronaut gets her due: author Marlene Targ Brill on Judith Resnik

By: Emily Votaw
Posted on: Tuesday, June 2, 2026

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Judith Resnik logged more than 144 hours in space, earned a doctorate in electrical engineering, and joined the groundbreaking 1978 NASA class that included the first American women admitted to astronaut training.

Despite these achievements, most young readers have never heard her name. Author Marlene Targ Brill set out to change that with her latest book, Judith Resnik: Unsung Astronaut.

On this episode of WOUB’s Conversations from Studio B, host Emily Votaw interviews Brill about the book, which marks the latest addition to Ohio University Press’s Biographies for Young Readers series. You can listen to the conversation by clicking “play” in the Soundcloud widget above.

Resnik grew up in Akron, flew her first mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1984, and became one of the most technically accomplished astronauts of her generation. Two years after that flight, Resnik joined the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

When the mission ended in tragedy on January 28, 1986, much of the public grief centered on Christa McAuliffe, the teacher selected to become the first civilian in space. Resnik’s name slipped quietly into the background. Correcting that omission sits at the heart of Brill’s book.

Brill came to children’s writing through careers in special education and early childhood education, backgrounds she credits with fostering her commitment to curiosity and critical thinking. Judith Resnik: Unsung Astronaut is her third book with Ohio University Press.

Judith Resnik: Unsung Astronaut is available from Ohio University Press at OhioSwallow.com. More information about Brill’s work can be found at MarleneTargBrill.com.