Dr. Mae C Jemison: The Woman who Changed the Face of Space Exploration
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On 12th September 1992, the world watched as Dr. Mae C Jemison boarded the Space Shuttle Endeavour and made history. With that single launch, she became the first African American woman to travel to space, challenging the narrative of who belongs in science, space and beyond.
From Chicago to Space: A Journey Fuelled by Curiosity
Born in Decatur, Alabama, and raised in Chicago, Dr. Jemison was the youngest of three children and grew up in a home that valued education and ambition. As a child, she loved science. She would spend hours reading science books, especially on astronomy, and by the age of sixteen, she was already enrolled at Stanford University on an academic scholarship. While there, she studied chemical engineering whilst majoring in African and African American studies – merging two worlds that rarely shared space.
“Growing up, I said to my teacher that I want to be a scientist, and she looked at me and said, 'Don't you mean a nurse?'.”
Dr. Mae C Jemison
After graduating in 1977, Dr. Jemison decided to take on a new challenge and study medicine at Cornell University – a choice that took her all around the world. From refugee camps in Thailand, serving as a physician in Kenya, and medical officer roles with the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Dr. Jemison was exposed to a melting pot of medical experiences, worldwide.
More Than Space: From Peace Corps to NASA
By the time Dr. Jemison was ready for NASA, she’d already seen the world. She had the medical expertise, a global outlook, and a drive to explore the unknown. After the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, NASA implemented the recommendations of the Rogers Commission before opening applications for its next mission. The Commission prompted NASA to improve and install new safety features on the shuttles and it its organisational handling of all future missions. When applications for their Space Shuttle Endeavour opened, Dr. Jemison threw her hat in the ring and out of 2,000 applicants, she was one of 15 candidates selected for NASA’s astronaut training program. In 1992, she made history as the first African American woman to travel to space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour for the Spacelab-J mission.
The Spacelab-J mission was a joint project between the US (NASA) and Japan (NASDA) that conducted microgravity experiments in materials and life sciences. In essence, for eight days, Dr. Jemison conducted experiments on weightlessness, motion sickness, and stress-related disorders – research that would help shape future space exploration but also provide additional insight for the pharmaceutical industry too.
Creating a Legacy on Earth
After leaving NASA in March 1993, Dr. Jemison founded the Jemison Group, a consulting firm that uses science, engineering and technology to solve socio-cultural issues. From investigating the use of satellite technology for healthcare delivery in West Africa and solar dish Stirling engines for electricity generation in developing countries, Dr. Jemison has been relentless in her approach to exploration and creating a more equitable world. She also founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. Named after her mother, the foundation advocates for education and empowering the next generation of explorers. The Earth We Share and the 100 Year Starship project are part of this foundation; the former focuses on building science literacy and the latter is working to ensure that human space travel beyond our own solar system is possible in the next 100 years.
Looking Forward
For Dr. Jemison, leadership is never about being the first – it’s about creating a path where others can follow. With the perspective of a physician, scientist and an astronaut, she’s built both a legacy and a ladder for others to climb.
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