Astronaut's daughter is born as he circles Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronaut Randolph Bresnik jubilantly welcomed his new daughter into the world Sunday as he floated 220 miles above it.

Abigail Mae Bresnik was born as her father circled Earth on his first space shuttle mission, just hours after his first spacewalk.

It was only the second time in history that a NASA astronaut was in orbit instead of the delivery room.

"At 11:04 last night, Abigail Mae Bresnik joined the NASA family," Bresnik announced Sunday from the linked space shuttle Atlantis and International Space Station. "Mama and baby are doing very well."

It was the second child for Randolph and Rebecca Bresnik, who adopted a boy from Ukraine a year ago. Big brother Wyatt is now 3.

Bresnik, 42, a lieutenant colonel in the Marines and former fighter pilot, thanked everyone at Mission Control and elsewhere for their support, especially during the past few days.

Rebecca Bresnik was due to give birth Friday in Houston. But Saturday morning came without any news as Bresnik ventured out on a six-hour spacewalk, installing antennas and other equipment at the space station.

He specifically asked that he receive no baby updates during the spacewalk, so he could focus on the inherently risky job. When he was safely back inside, he learned his wife had yet to give birth.

As his wife was in labor Saturday evening, Bresnik was connected by the space station's Internet protocol phone to the NASA flight surgeon at the hospital. Bedtime came, and the spaceman signed off for the night.

Abigail Mae — 6 pounds and 13 ounces, and 20 inches long — finally made her appearance late Saturday, long after all the astronauts had gone to sleep.

Mission Control awakened the shuttle crew Sunday with the song "Butterfly Kisses," chosen by Rebecca Bresnik for her husband. Among the lyrics: "There's two things I know for sure/She was sent here from heaven and she's Daddy's little girl."

Bresnik was immediately patched through to the hospital by Mission Control, which relayed "heartfelt congratulations."

Rebecca Bresnik, an attorney who specializes in international law at Johnson Space Center, said before Atlantis' 11-day flight that she was "a little disappointed" her husband would not be present for the birth. But she said she understood.

"We don't choose the timing," she said in an interview that was broadcast by NASA following the birth announcement. "He's trained one year for this mission, but really he's been here five, almost six years. I'm just really excited for him and excited for us."