Nicole Mann makes history as 1st Native American woman in space

Nicole Mann
(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

SpaceX's fifth manned mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. Heading the mission as commander is Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman to go to space.

The former Marine Corps pilot joined NASA's astronaut corps in 2013 and this is her first trip to space since joining, CNN reports. Mann and three crewmates will spend six months in the ISS conducting more than 200 experiments, reports NPR. This feat comes 20 years after John Herrington became the first Native American man in space back in 2002.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.