Astronaut Mae Jemison works in the Spacelab Japan (SLJ) module aboard Endeavour during the STS-47 mission. Image: NASA.
First African-American Woman in Space
Astronaut Mae Jemison works in the Spacelab Japan (SLJ) module aboard Endeavour during the STS-47 mission. Image: NASA.
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The first African-American woman in space was Mae C. Jemison. She served as a mission specialist on STS-47 (Endeavour) in 1992. Astronauts on this cooperative mission between the United States and Japan conducted experiments in life sciences and materials processing. Dr. Jemison earned a degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University in 1977 (she also fulfilled the requirements for a B.A. in African and Afro-American Studies), and earned an M.D. from Cornell University in 1981. |
Dr. Jemison was born October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, but calls Chicago, Illinois, her hometown. She is currently president of The Jemison Group, Inc., Houston, Texas. |