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Mae C. Jemison

 I am the first African American female astronaut and the first Black woman to travel to space.  


During my space travel in 1992 I was the science mission specialist on STS-47 Spacelab-J, a cooperative mission between the United States and Japan that was accomplished in 127 orbits of the Earth, and included 44 Japanese and U.S. life science and materials processing experiments. In this effort, I was NASA’s first Science Mission Specialist performing experiments in material science, life science and human adaptation to weightlessness.

I was a co-investigator on the bone cell research experiment flown on the STS-47 mission. During this Endeavour flight mission I logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space.  

I have a background in both engineering and medical research. I have worked in the areas of computer programming, printed wiring board materials, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, computer magnetic disc production, and reproductive biology.

I participated in research projects on Hepatitis B vaccine, schistosomaisis and rabies in conjunction with the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control.

I am currently leading 100 Year Starship (100YSS), an initiative to assure the capability for human interstellar space travel to another star is possible within the next 100 years. 

I am also the founder of a technology consulting firm that integrates the critical impact of socio-cultural issues when designing and implementing technologies, such as projects on using satellite technology for health care delivery in West Africa and solar dish Stirling engines for electricity generation in developing countries.  

I served in the Peace Corps, from January 1983 to June 1985 stationed in Sierra Leone and Liberia, West Africa. 

I have worked with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). 

I appeared in an episode of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, and was the subject of the PBS documentary THE NEW EXPLORERS.

I founded a ran The Earth We Share, a space camp for students aged 12-16. 

I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University in 1977, while also fulfilling the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies.