Here are 20 Female Astronauts You Should Definitely Know

4. Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison, it seems, can do it all. At the very least, she can do quite a few more things than your average person, or even your average astronaut.

During her childhood in 1960s Chicago, young Mae Jemison was clearly a budding scientist. She was fairly obsessed with the details of the Apollo space program. Despite her interest, however, Jemison was not unaware of issues with NASA’s selection process. “I remember being irritated that there were no women astronauts,” she said.

Jemison was also an enthusiastic dancer. By her early teens, she was hooked, having tried a wide variety of dance styles. Even by the time she was a senior in college, Jemison was still considering a career in the arts.

Because she was also interested in biomedical engineering, Jemison entered medical school in 1981, at Cornell Medical College. She interned in Los Angeles and built her general medical practice nearby. Jemison also volunteered her time as a physician overseas, providing medical care to people in Kenya, Thailand, and Cuba. She also served as a Peace Corps medical officer.

Still, during all this time, Jemison wanted to go to space. After Sally Ride’s NASA career, Jemison felt that she might also have a chance. She also cited Nichelle Nichols, the Star Trek actress who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura, as an inspiration. During her shuttle mission, Jemison even opened each shift with the phrase, “hailing frequencies open”.

She was accepted into the astronaut program in 1987 and flew her first and only mission in 1992, on STS-47. She resigned from NASA in 1993 to pursue an academic career. Jemison is currently a professor at Cornell University, in addition to her many duties as a researcher and entrepreneur.