This
story was updated at 7:28 p.m. EST.
Talk about
one proud papa. Astronaut
Randy Bresnik beamed with joy Sunday after hearing news of the arrival of his
new baby daughter, who was born on Earth while he orbited above on the
International Space Station.
Wearing a
t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase "It's a Girl," Bresnik passed out pink bubblegum
cigars (smoking is prohibited on the station) to the 11 other astronauts with
him on the space station and linked shuttle Atlantis. He even unveiled a pink
onesie decorated with his mission's patch for his daughter – Abigail Mae
Bresnik.
The
astronaut announced the birth of baby
Abigail Sunday morning after two days of waiting for news. His wife Rebecca
had the baby in Houston Saturday night at 11:04 p.m. local time on a day that
also included Bresnik's first-ever spacewalk outside the station.
"Mama and
baby are doing very well," Bresnik radioed Mission Control. He thanked the
flight controllers there and all of NASA for their support.
"On behalf
of the planet Earth ground team, please accept our heartfelt congratulations,"
Mission Control said.
Abigail weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 20 inches long when she was born. She is the second child for the Bresniks, who have a 3-year-old son, Wyatt, whom they adopted in Ukraine last year.
Oh, baby!
Bresnik and
his wife had expected their daughter to be born on Friday to avoid a potential
conflict with the astronaut's two spacewalks for this mission. He's due to
venture back outside the station on Monday. Bresnik is just hoping for pictures
soon, and lots of them.
"Hopefully,
I'll be able to hear and see the pictures and be able to talk to her maybe on
the [Internet Protocol] phone and see some video shortly thereafter and be
home, hopefully, only a few days afterwards," Bresnik said in a NASA interview
before the mission. Mission Control planned to set up a space-to-ground
communications link between Bresnik and his wife so he wouldn't miss the baby's
arrival.
Mission
Control roused the astronauts early Sunday with the song "Butterfly Kisses," a
song about a father and his daughter, by Bob Carlisle, which Rebecca Bresnik
chose specially for her astronaut husband.
Bresnik
spoke with his wife while she was in labor late before heading out on the
spacewalk Saturday, but the astronauts agreed to forgo updates during the
excursion while he was working outside the station. It was early Sunday
morning, when Bresnik's wife called him to report Abigail's arrival, that he
learned of the birth.
"Congratulations!"
Atlantis astronaut Robert Satcher, Jr., an orthopedic surgeon, told Bresnik's
wife in a video broadcast on NASA TV.
"Way to go
Rebecca," added crewmate Leland Melvin, a former NFL football player. "You endured some serious labor pains and I think it was
all worth it for a beautiful baby girl."
It is only second
time in history that an American astronaut has been in space when his child
was born. NASA astronaut Michael Fincke coached his wife Renita through the birth of their
daughter Tarali
Paulina from the space station in June 2004 during his long-duration mission. Fincke had to wait
he landed in October of that year to hold his daughter, then four months old,
for the first time.
"I wish the
Bresniks all
the best," said lead space station flight director Brian Smith before the
baby's birth. "This is a very exciting time for both Randy and Rebecca."
A
surprise blessing
Bresnik
said he was disappointed to miss his momentous family event, but would be home
much sooner than Fincke.
Atlantis is due to land in Florida Friday, the day after Thanksgiving – an
American holiday also known for
family get-togethers. The mission is delivering tons of spare parts to the
space station, though the astronauts will have some much deserved time off
today.
He also
said many families, like those of deployed military personnel, experience the
same timing conflicts all the time.
In an ABC
News interview before flight, Bresnik and his wife said they were surprise of
Rebecca's pregnancy because they believed she couldn't have children.
Because of
medical reasons, doctors opted to induce the birth two weeks early, which
allowed the Bresniks
some wiggle room in selecting a delivery date for their daughter.
Before
Atlantis launched, Bresnik's wife said she understood the conflict for her
husband, especially since he spent an entire year training for this spaceflight, which
is his first since joining NASA's astronaut ranks in 2004.
"I'm a
little disappointed that he won't be able to be there, but understanding that
we don't choose the timing, and excited that he's doing what he's doing," she
said. "So, I'm excited for him to come home safely."
Bresnik
will have to wait an extra day after returning to Earth to see his daughter for
the first time. He told Rebecca not to come to his landing so soon after the
delivery, especially since it's always possible Atlantis' return could be
delayed or redirected to a backup runway in California.
But no
matter which day Atlantis lands, Bresnik and his crew – commanded by Charlie
"Scorch" Hobaugh
– plans to waste no time to meet his daughter face-to-face.
"As soon as
possible," Bresnick
said. "I will look forward to that landing and Scorch to make it nice and safe.
Probably more than anybody has in the history of the space shuttle program."
SPACE.com
is providing complete coverage of Atlantis' STS-129 mission to the International
Space Station with Staff Writer Clara Moskowitz and Managing Editor Tariq Malik
based in New York. Click here for shuttle mission updates and a
link to NASA TV.
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