190
Orbits Completed
7
Crew Members
7.9M
Miles Traveled
190
Hours in Orbit
The Journey to Space
In 1987, Mae Jemison was selected from over 2,000 applicants to join NASA’s astronaut training program. After rigorous training in shuttle operations, spacewalking, and scientific research, she was assigned to the STS-47 Spacelab-J mission. During the mission, she conducted experiments on bone cells and the effects of weightlessness on various organisms. Her work contributed to our understanding of human adaptation to space and laid groundwork for future long-duration missions.As she orbited Earth, Jemison carried symbols of her heritage and inspiration, including a poster from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and a photo of pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license.
“When I’m asked about the relevance to Black people of what I do, I take that as an affront. It presupposes that Black people have never been involved in exploring the heavens, but this is not so. Ancient African empires—Mali, Songhai, Egypt—had scientists and astronomers. The fact is that space and its resources belong to all of us, not to any one group.”
— Mae Jemison