Stefanyshyn-Piper
Heidemarie
(Born in 1963)
An American astronaut of Ukrainian-German heritage, Heidemarie participated in two space missions (2006, 2008), where she performed a range of technical tasks. She is notable for being the eighth woman to conduct a spacewalk and the first person of Ukrainian descent to do so. She became the second astronaut to display the Ukrainian flag during a spaceflight.
Keeping my father's last name after marriage was a tribute to my heritage. My connection to Ukraine is something I proudly carry, and I emphasize it in every interview.
Portrait of Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper
Designer: Natalia Honcharova
Heidemarie’s father, Mykhailo Stefanyshyn, was from Yakymiv, a village in Ukraine’s Lviv region. During World War II, he was sent to Germany, where he met and married a German woman, Adelheid. The couple later immigrated to the United States, where Heidemarie was born.
Mykhailo was passionate about preserving Ukrainian traditions, enrolling Heidemarie in the Ukrainian scouting organisation ‘Plast’ at the age of six. Here, she immersed herself in Ukrainian culture, customs, and history, forming a strong lifelong connection to her heritage. As a tribute to her roots, she kept her father’s surname after marriage.
Her bond with Ukraine remains profound, and she proudly highlights it in her public appearances. She has also visited her ancestral homeland twice, in 2007 and 2019.
Awards and Honours:
Order of Princess Olga III Degree** (Ukraine, 2007): for courage and bravery in space exploration and for strengthening the friendship between the Ukrainian and American people.
Medals:
Navy Commendation Medal (twice awarded)
Navy Achievement Medal (twice awarded)