NASA Introduces First-Ever Native American Woman To Travel To Space
Two decades ago, John Herrington made history as the first Native American man to head into orbit.
Now, astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann, who comes from the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, will soon become the first Native American woman to travel aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
According to the BBC, Mann will feature as the mission commander when the crew takes off on September 29, 2022, making her responsible for all phases of the journey.
#MarineCorps Col. and @NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, the mission commander for SpaceX Crew-5, will participate in the NASA news conference and interview today, Aug. 4, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) August 4, 2022
Watch at the link below â¬‡ï¸ https://t.co/o4KLy9oseI pic.twitter.com/zbaFfEl2HB
To mark the special occasion, the astronaut will take a dreamcatcher—a gift from her mother in her childhood—with her as part of the 3.3 lb allocated for personal belongings.
It certainly is a fitting symbol of her heritage to carry up to space, considering that as per the Indigenous Foundation, dreamcatchers typically symbolize unity and protection.
In an interview with Indian Country Today, Mann said it was “very exciting” to be the first Native woman in space, and that she felt some of the barriers to entry in the past “are really starting to get broken down.”
The astronaut was also selected as part of NASA’s Artemis endeavor, and could be chosen as part of the team that will head back to the Moon in the near future.
[via BBC and Indian Country Today, cover image via Kvaka9 | Dreamstime.com]
