Nicole Aunapu Mann, a NASA astronaut, will lead NASA’s Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station on 5th October 2022. Nicole Aunapu Mann is set to become the first Native American woman to venture into space. Mann is a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California.
Nicole Aunapu Mann – First Native American Woman to Venture into the Space- Key Points
- According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Nicole Aunapu Mann was selected by NASA in June 2013.
- She is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft no earlier than October 3, 2022.
- The California native, Nicole Aunapu Mann holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
- Mann is a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet.
- She deployed twice aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- She will be the first indigenous woman from NASA to go to space. She is registered with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
- She led the astronaut corps in the development of the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System, and Exploration Ground Systems for missions to the Moon.
- The launch is targeted for October 5, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.