NASA, SpaceX Sending First Native American Woman To Orbit

NASA plans for its historic Artemis mission to send humans to the moon and possibly Mars and will send the first Native American woman into Earth's orbit on Wednesday.

Nicole Mann, a member of the Wailacki people of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California, is going to be one of the astronauts on the rocket.

Mann is the first Native American to go into space since 2002.

Mann said in August that the SpaceX crew will provide technical assistance needed for a sustained human presence on the moon and eventually take us to Mars.

According to 2020 federal Census data, American Indians make up approximately 1% of the US population. Mann said it was important that we celebrate our diversity and that the message should be communicated to the younger generation.

Key Background

The most diverse crew on a half-year mission to the space station was launched by NASA. One month ago, the agency scrubbed two attempts to send an uncrewed Artemis rocket into the moon. The first crewed moon landing in more than 50 years is planned for the year 2025. A woman and a person of color will be on the moon. It is the first time since 2002 that a Russian cosmonaut has launched into space from the U.S.

The first Native American woman is going to be sent to space.

NASA wants to extend the life of the Hubble Telescope.