Mae Jemison: Reaching beyond the stars with NASA

Image Courtesy of NASA

When kindergartener Mae Carol Jemison told her teacher she wanted to study science when she was older; her teacher assumed she meant nursing. No one could have predicted she would later become the first African American woman astronaut in space, but that is just what Mae did. Her example and tenacity would continue to inspire and motivate students, especially women of colour, to never limit their dreams.

Her family moved away from Alabama to Illinois in Chicago to seek better educational opportunities. Her mother Dorothy was an elementary schoolteacher, and her father Charlie, a roofer and carpenter—both supported their daughter’s interest in science when others did not. Mae completed an undergraduate degree at Stanford University and received degrees in chemical engineering and African American Studies. Upon graduation she  later earned a medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. 

From there she began interning as a general practitioner at the Los Angeles County/ University of Southern Medical Centre. For the next two and a half years, she was the area Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia where she also taught  medical research.  Jemison returned to the U.S. and began a new journey into the world of space.

Growing up, Mae was a Star Trek fan. It was actress Nichelle Nichols portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura who first piqued her interest in space. Her desire was further cemented after the historical flight completed by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. With more opportunities opening for women in science in the early 1980s, Jemison decided to fulfill a childhood dream.

““The best thing I have done throughout my life is to do the best job that I can and to be me.””

— Mae Jemison, Ebony Magazine

Mae succeeded in being only one of 15 who were accepted - out of 2,000 candidates - into the NASA Astronauts Corps in 1987, where she would work for the company for six years.  On September 12, 1992, she finally travelled into space with six other astronauts aboard the Endeavour on mission STS47 that orbited the earth for eight days. When Mae finally left NASA in 1993, she founded her own company, the Jemison Group, which sought to encourage a love for science and bring advanced technology to schools worldwide.

 Today, Jemison is the current principal of 100 Year Starship, a joint project between the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA, which seeks to achieve interstellar travel within 100 years.

Image Courtesy of NASA

As we celebrate women’s vital role in history this month, we must remember its pioneers. Those like Mae, whose pursuit of their dreams would later impact generations to follow on a global scale. Breaking barriers often seem like a glorious triumph once completed, but it’s usually during those unprecedented journeys that heroines are created. 

Jemison’s trip to space was not only ground-breaking but a trial that only a minority could fully grasp. Since the opening of NASA in 1958, there have been a total of 18 African American astronauts. As the fight to dismantle systemic racism continues, we can only hope to see a rise of diverse individuals breaking barriers in the pursuit of their wildest dreams.