Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison loved science.

She also loved to dance. She studied to be a doctor first. She helped people stay healthy. Then, she joined NASA.

She flew on a big ship. It was called Endeavour. She was the first Black woman in space. She stayed in space for eight days.

She did many science tests there. Mae shows us we can do anything.

Mae Jemison is a famous scientist and doctor.

She was born in Alabama in 1956. As a young girl, she loved to dance. She also wanted to explore space.

Mae studied very hard in school. She earned degrees in chemical engineering and African studies. Later, she became a doctor. She worked for the Peace Corps in Africa. This work helped keep people healthy.

In 1992, Mae made history. She flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She was the first African-American woman to go to space.

During her eight-day trip, she did many science tests. She studied how frogs grow in zero gravity. She also tested ways to make clean water in space.

After NASA, Mae started new projects. She founded a group called 100 Year Starship. This group thinks about how humans might travel to stars. She also started a foundation for science. She wants to help students love science, too. Mae shows us that we can reach for the stars.

Mae Jemison is a famous engineer, doctor, and astronaut.

She was born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama. As a child, she loved to study nature and human bodies. She also loved to dance many different styles like ballet and jazz.

Jemison knew very early that she wanted to study science. She even dreamed of traveling into space. Watching the show Star Trek helped spark this interest. She saw an actress named Nichelle Nichols play a character in space. This made her want to join that world too.

Jemison worked very hard to reach her big goals.

She went to Stanford University when she was only 16 years old. There, she earned two degrees in chemical engineering and African studies. Later, she went to Cornell University to become a medical doctor. Before she went to space, she served in the Peace Corps. She worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone from 1983 to 1985. As a doctor, she helped keep volunteers healthy and safe. She even worked with the Centers for Disease Control on vaccine research.

In 1987, Jemison joined NASA as an astronaut.

She was chosen from about 2,000 people who applied. In 1992, she flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. This mission was called STS-47. She was the first African-American woman to travel into space.

Her mission lasted for nearly eight days. During this time, the shuttle orbited the Earth 127 times. She spent over 190 hours living in space. She even used a famous quote from Star Trek to start her work.

While in space, Jemison performed many important science tasks.

She worked inside a module called Spacelab Japan. One task was testing a system to make clean water for medicine. She also helped test a way to make saline solution. Jemison studied how bone cells work in space. She even watched how female frogs developed eggs and tadpoles in zero gravity.

She also practiced a special way to stay calm and handle stress. This method is called Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise, or AFTE. This helped her monitor how her body felt during the mission.

Jemison continues to do amazing things for science today.

She left NASA in 1993 to start her own company. She also started the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. This foundation runs science camps for students. These camps help kids learn how to solve real problems. She is also the leader of the 100 Year Starship project. This project is funded by DARPA to think about future space travel. Jemison shows us that science and dance can both be part of a great life.

Mae Carol Jemison is a distinguished American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut.

She is most famous for becoming the first African-American woman to travel into space. This historic achievement occurred in 1992 while she served as a mission specialist. Jemison's career is unique because it combines high-level science with medical expertise and even dance. Her life demonstrates how diverse interests can lead to groundbreaking discoveries in space exploration. Today, she continues to influence science through education and technology research.

Jemison's journey to space began with a strong foundation in multiple scientific fields.

She attended Stanford University at the age of 16. There, she earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American studies. Later, she attended Cornell University to earn her medical degree. Before joining NASA, she served as a medical officer for the Peace Corps. From 1983 to 1985, she worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone. In this role, she managed pharmacies, laboratories, and medical staff to keep volunteers safe.

In 1987, Jemison reached a major milestone when she joined NASA's astronaut corps.

She was selected from a massive pool of approximately 2,000 applicants. She was one of only 15 people chosen for NASA Astronaut Group 12. This was the first group selected after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. On September 28, 1989, she was assigned to the STS-47 crew. She served as Mission Specialist 4 and the Science Mission Specialist. This role was a new position designed to focus specifically on conducting scientific experiments in orbit.

Jemison's spaceflight took place aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour from September 12 to September 20, 1992. The mission, known as STS-47, was a cooperative effort between the United States and Japan. During the eight-day mission, the crew orbited the Earth 127 times. Jemison personally logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds in space. The crew was divided into two shifts, and Jemison was part of the Blue Shift. She even used the phrase "Hailing frequencies open" to start her communications, a nod to the show Star Trek.

While in orbit, Jemison conducted several complex biological and physical science experiments.

Much of this work happened inside the Spacelab Japan module. She tested the Fluid Therapy System to produce water for medical injection. Using a mixing method from Baxter Healthcare, she also produced saline solution in space. Jemison was a co-investigator for two separate research projects involving bone cells. She also participated in an experiment to see how female frogs would ovulate and how tadpoles would develop in zero gravity.

One of the most personal scientific tasks involved managing the human body's reaction to space.

Jemison and Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri practiced the Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise, or AFTE. This is a technique that uses biofeedback to help people monitor their own physiology. The goal was to see if it could help treat motion sickness, anxiety, or stress. Jemison later founded BioSentient Corp to commercialize this very technology. This shows how scientific testing in space can lead to new tools for people on Earth.

After leaving NASA in 1993, Jemison focused on leadership and scientific literacy.

She founded The Jemison Group Inc., a firm that studies how technology affects society. She also created the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence to honor her mother. This foundation runs "The Earth We Share," a science camp for students aged 12 to 16. These camps teach the scientific method to help students solve real problems in their communities. Her work ensures that the next generation of scientists is diverse and well-prepared.

Jemison's impact extends to the very future of human travel.

In 2012, her foundation won a grant from DARPA for the 100 Year Starship project. As the principal of this project, she helps lead efforts to make long-term space travel possible. Her career connects many different worlds, from medicine and engineering to dance and social studies. She remains a powerful advocate for getting minority students interested in the sciences. Her legacy is a bridge between the history of space flight and the future of interstellar exploration.