Anniversary of Mae Jemison's 1992 flight as first Black woman in space
Space history outlets and social media mark the 34th anniversary of Jemison's launch aboard shuttle Endeavour on STS-47.
What to know
- Mae Jemison flew on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-47 mission on Sept. 12, 1992, becoming the first Black woman to travel to space.
- It took NASA nine years after first sending a woman to space in 1983 to select a Black woman for a mission.
- Jemison's only spaceflight was followed by her retirement from NASA in 1993 and founding of the Jemison Group technology consulting firm.
- The story is a historical anniversary retrospective, not a new development; coverage on Sept. 12, 2026 marks the 34th anniversary of the launch.
Mae Jemison NASA astronaut, physician and engineerGuion Bluford NASA astronautSharon McDougle NASA suit technician
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
-
1
Space history outlets and social media mark the anniversary
Space.com published a retrospective on Jemison's flight, and multiple Bluesky posts recounted her biography and shared a NASA launch-preparation photo on the 34th anniversary of her launch.
“Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go into space, headed into orbit on the Space Shuttle Endeavour #OTD in 1992.”
— mcnees.bsky.social -
A
#OTD in 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison launched into orbit as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour making her the first Black woman to travel into space. An incredible life: + Physician (M.D., Cornell 1981) + Peace Corps Area Medical Officer in Sierra Leone & Liberia #WomenInSTEM 🧵
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
-
M
Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go into space, headed into orbit on the Space Shuttle Endeavour #OTD in 1992. In this photo she is being suited up before launch by Sharon McDougle. 🧪 🔭 👩🏾🔬 Image: NASA
-
-
background
Jemison becomes first astronaut to appear in Star Trek — She had a cameo as a lieutenant on Star Trek: The Next Generation, a nod to her stated inspiration from the character Lt. Uhura.
-
background
Jemison retires from NASA and founds the Jemison Group — After STS-47, her only spaceflight, Jemison left NASA and started the Jemison Group, a technology consulting firm.
-
background
Jemison launches on STS-47, becoming first Black woman in space — Jemison flew as a science mission specialist aboard space shuttle Endeavour, overseeing 44 experiments for Japan and the United States and logging more than 190 hours in orbit over the 8-day mission.
-
background
Jemison joins NASA's astronaut candidate corps — After serving as a Peace Corps Area Medical Officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Jemison, a Stanford-trained engineer and Cornell-trained physician, was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate.