And so young.

I can't help but wonder if exposure to solar radiation played a part.

But then I considered the fact that many hundreds of people have flown in space, eventually there had to be someone who, while robust enough to be an astronaut, still had some genetic time-bomb for early cancer that would eventually present itself.

I wondered how far down I'd have to read before someone would try to tie her dying of cancer to being an astronaut. The answer is three comments down.

It might have been a contributing factor though. That many missions..that close to the sun.

Even that high up.

92955807 miles to the sun from the surface of the earth, 92955802 miles to the sun in low earth orbit.

I doubt it was a factor. She was still surrounded by the earths magnetic field. 460 people have been in space, 1 dies early due to cancer. Lots of people die early due to cancer, never having been in space.

Some people have spent a year or more in low earth orbit, and have had no effects.

Sergei Krikalev has spent 803 days, 9 hours and 39 minutes, or 2.2 years in space over the span of six spaceflights on Soyuz, the Space Shuttle, Mir, and International Space Station ( Age 53 ) If it was factor, this guy should have died a long time ago.

While it's sad, she got to do things a lot of people dream of. She lived a full life in her short time.

It's the lack of an atmosphere that shields out the gamma radiation.

a shuttle crew gets 400 a mission.

not really a factor.

that her general exposure probably went DOWN

still... it's 'funny' sometimes. all this technology, and we are still dying from microscopic bugs and internal defects.

nature will not be denied

Explorer and Hero

Condolences to her family and friends.

My condolences to her family

Sigh.

RIP

May she rest in peace.

55 is way too young to leave this earth in 2012.

Cancer must be conquered ASAP. From all I gather progress is being made but we can hope it speeds up.

And what a great life she lived. Too short, but there was a lot of good living packed in there.