First NASA Mission Led By Native American Woman Underway

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Crew 5, including Nicole Mann, the first indigenous woman in space, to the International Space Station. Mann, a member of the Wailaki tribe, is a Stanford-trained engineer and former F18 pilot. Despite geopolitical tensions, US and Russia continue space cooperation, with a Russian cosmonaut aboard a SpaceX capsule for the first time. The crew will conduct experiments over five months. The first Native American in space was John Harrington in 2002. Mann will spend 150 days in space.

What will the crew of four be doing aboard the International Space Station?

Who was the first Native American to go to space and in what year?