Jessica Watkins Becomes First Black Woman on Long-Duration ISS Mission
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins made history Thursday, becoming the first Black woman to participate in a long-duration mission aboard the orbiting International Space Station.
In addition to being the first Black woman to serve a long-duration mission on ISS, Watkins could be chosen to travel to the moon as part of NASA’s upcoming Artemis Program. [Courtesy: NASA]
Key Takeaways:
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins made history as the first Black woman to participate in a long-duration mission on the International Space Station (ISS).
Watkins launched to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for a six-month mission, serving as a flight engineer.
She is also one of 18 astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and person of color on the Moon.
Watkins views her role as a tribute to Black women astronauts before her and an opportunity to be a role model for future generations.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins made history Thursday, becoming the first Black woman to participate in a long-duration mission on the International Space Station.
The Colorado native and geologist boarded ISS from a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center Wednesday atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
