The first black woman to live and work at the International Space Station will be a NASA Astronaut.
Watkins will be leaving in April 2022, along with three other astronauts from NASA and the European Space Agency. She is going to be on NASA's Crew-4 for six months.
Watkins will be in space for the first time.
The New York Times reported that Watkins was born in Maryland and raised in Colorado. She received her Bachelor of Science in Geological and Environmental Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles and her PhD in Geology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
She joined the Astronaut Candidate Class after two years of training. Her training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, T-38 flight training, water and wilderness survival training, geology training, and expeditionary skills training.
Watkins told The Times that she hopes her mission will inspire children of color, and particularly young girls of color, to be able to see an example of how they can participate and succeed.
"For me, that's been really important, and so if I can contribute to that in some way, that's definitely worth it," she said.
Watkins is going to go to the moon with the Artemis team in 2024. NASA has not had astronauts on the moon since 1972.
The first black American to go to space was sent by NASA. The first black woman in space was Mae Jemison.
Jeanette Epps was supposed to be the first black woman to join the crew of the International Space Station, but NASA replaced her with Serena Aun-Chancellor. It's not clear why NASA made the switch.
NASA didn't reply immediately to Insider's request for comment.
