first Black woman making long-term spaceflight LAUNCHES
NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins
SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Wednesday - the first NASA crew comprised equally of men and women, including the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins. "This is one of the most diversified crews that we've had in a really, really long time," said NASA's space operations mission chief Kathy Lueders. While two Black women visited the space station during the shuttle era, neither moved in for a lengthy stay. Watkins, a geologist who is on NASA's short list for an Artemis moon-landing mission in the years ahead, sees her mission as "an important milestone both for the agency and for the country." She credits supportive family and mentors - including Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space in 1992 - for "ultimately being able to live my dream."
