Celebrating Black History Month: Mae C. Jemison

Celebrate Black History month and follow the timeline of Alabama native, Mae C. Jemison, a NASA astronaut known for her service as the mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

1956

Born in Decatur, AL on October 17, 1956, Jemison moved with her family to Chicago as a child.

1973

At the young age of 16, Jemison entered Stanford University as she balanced her love of dance with her love of science.

1977

After graduating with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and a B.A. in African and African-American studies, she then went on to Cornell Medical School and later joined the Peace Corp.

1983

Upon returning to the United States after the Peace Corp, Jemison took engineering courses while applying to NASA’s astronaut training Program.

1987

Her application was delayed until 1987 when she was chosen as one of 15 people to join the NASA Astronaut Group 12.

1992

Jemison flew her first and only space mission on September 12, 1992 to the Spacelab Japan Module. Jemison logged 190 hours and orbited the earth 127 times while conducting various life science experiments.

Sources:
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mae-jemison
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mae-Jemisonhttp://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/s-137
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/jemison_mae.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Space_Flight_Center