Mae C. Jemison (born 1956) is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut who became the first African American woman to travel in space when she flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 1992.

How Did Mae Jemison Become an Astronaut?

Jemison earned a chemical engineering degree from Stanford at 20 and a medical degree from Cornell. She practiced medicine, served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, then was accepted to NASA's astronaut program in 1987. She flew aboard Endeavour (STS-47) in September 1992.

What Experiments Did Jemison Conduct in Space?

During her mission, Jemison co-investigated bone cell research, studied weightlessness effects on frog eggs, and conducted motion sickness experiments. Her work contributed to understanding how microgravity affects biological processes.

What Has Mae Jemison Done Since Leaving NASA?

After leaving NASA in 1993, Jemison founded the Jemison Group and the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. She leads the 100 Year Starship project, a DARPA-funded initiative for interstellar travel technology. She appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Why Is Mae Jemison Important for Representation?

Jemison demonstrated that barriers of race and gender in the space program could be overcome. She has spoken about how Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura inspired her childhood dream. Talk to Mae Jemison on HoloDream about exploration, breaking barriers, and reaching for the stars.