BREVARD COUNTY, Florida — Another glass ceiling was shattered Wednesday when Nicole Mann became the first indigenous woman to make it to space.
NASA's SpaceX crew lifted off around noon on Wednesday, Oct. 5th on a six-month mission to conduct research including a study on heart health and human tissue printing. Mann headed the expedition as mission commander, making history again as the Marine Corps' first woman to lead a National Aeronautics and Space Administration space flight.
Mann was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1999. Following graduate school, she completed The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia and reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for flight training in 2001. She earned her wings of gold as a Naval Aviator in 2003 and reported to VFA-106 for fleet training in the F/A-18C.
She began her operational flying career in 2004 with the Thunderbolts of VMFA-251 based out of Beaufort, South Carolina. During this assignment, she deployed twice in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mann was selected by NASA in 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class.
Mann completed astronaut candidate training in July 2015.
After which, she served as the T-38 Safety and Training Officer and as the Assistant to the Chief Astronaut for Exploration where she led the astronaut corps in the development of the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System, and Exploration Ground Systems for missions to the Moon.
She has also received numerous awards including two Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various unit commendations.
Mann is registered with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
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