Mae Jemison went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992 and became the first African American woman in space. She is also a trained medical doctor, served as a Medical Officer in the Peace Corps and currently runs BioSentient Corp, a medical technology company.
How did Mae Jemison make a difference?
She was accepted as one of fifteen astronaut candidates in 1987. She completed her training in 1988, and served in 1992 as a mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavour. At 36 years old, she became the first African American woman to go into space. Jemison was the science mission specialist on the flight.
What was Mae Jemison’s most significant achievement?
Mae Jemison is an American physician who was the first African American woman to become an astronaut. In 1992 she spent more than a week orbiting Earth in the space shuttle Endeavour.
How did Mae Jemison overcome her fear of heights?
In fact, Jemison has acknowledged that fear doesn’t always have to be a weakness. Even though Jemison was afraid of heights, once she was selected into the training program, she replaced her fear with the drive to push through and complete her training. She credits balance to helping her get over her fear.
What makes Mae Jemison unique?
Jemison is the first African American female astronaut. In 1992, she flew into space aboard the Endeavour, becoming the first African American woman in space.
When was the first woman in space?
1963
So said cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, (pictured left) who made history as the first woman in space aboard the then-Soviet Union’s Vostok 6 spacecraft in 1963. In the nearly six decades since Tereshkova first ventured into space, 64 more women have followed suit, albeit in fits and starts.
What was Mae Jemison weakness?
She suffered from a fear of heights, for example, but once she got into the astronaut training program, Jemison says, “There was no way I was not going to get through because of my fear of heights.” Instead, she relied on the strength of her ego to push forward. It’s a weakness only if it keeps you from doing stuff.
What are the major accomplishments of Mae Jemison?
8 Major Accomplishments of Mae Jemison 1. First African-American Female Astronaut to Fly into Space 2. First African-American Admitted to Training 3. Trained Physician 4. Completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering 5. Worked as a General Practitioner 6. Science Mission Specialist 7. Was in Space for 8 Days 8. Award Recipient
When did Mae Jemison apply to the astronaut program?
However, once Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983, Jemison decided to apply to the astronaut program at NASA. She applied in 1985, but after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, NASA took a break from accepting new people.
When did Mae Jemison join the Peace Corps?
Shortly after her graduation, she became an intern at the Los Angeles County Medical Center, and then went on to practice general medicine. Fluent in Russian, Japanese and Swahili, Jemison joined the Peace Corps in 1983 and served as a medical officer for two years in Africa.
How old was Mae Jemison when she was born?
In addition to her many awards, Jemison has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame. Mae Carol Jemison was born on October 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama.
