- Source: Twitter
- Source: Twitter

Kathy Sullivan has journeyed further than just about any other person. The former Astronaut -- who as the first American woman to do a space walk -- has also become the first woman to reach the the deepest point on Earth.

This week Sullivan, who became an astronaut with NASA in 1979 and took part in shuttle missions in 1984, 1990 and 1992, travelled in a submersible to Challenger Deep, a point 11 kilometres below ocean level. That's deeper than Mount Everest is tall.

Only eight people have reached the Challenger Deep, which is located in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. She made her journey with Victor Vescovo, who piloted the submarine named Limiting Factor.

The submarine is able to withstand the intense pressure experienced so far underwater as the two-person crew compartment is wrapped in a 9-centimetre titanium cocoon.

After the mission was complete, Sullivan reportedly phoned the International Space Station, to speak with its crew. This put in touch two parties of pioneers, exploring two different non-terrestrial worlds.

Sullivan, a member of the US Astronaut Hall of Fame, trod a path followed by surf fan and fellow Astronaut Christina Koch, who set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space.

Surfing in SPACE | Kelly Slater Live with Astronaut Christina Koch
24:49
Slater and Koch talk surfing, space photography, zero gravity, and more live from the International Space Station.
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