Spocko

Today we're sending the first black person & the first woman to the moon.

But I know that Dr. Mae Jemison was the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Jemison

Also, Jemison became the first real-life astronaut to appear on #StarTrek
Here's Jemison as Lt. Palmer in #StarTrekTNG episode Second Chances talking to Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek's Lt. Uhura, outside the set.
#Artemis #Artemis2

9:45pmWeb
Show threadWasted Radiance6h ago

@spocko

Don't forget the first non-american & non-NASA astronaut, Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.

Show threadInfoseepage6h ago

@spocko But not first black person. The first person of African descent to fly into space was Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez, a Cuban, way back in 1980.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaldo_Tamayo_M%C3%A9ndez

Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez - Wikipedia

Show threadInfoseepage5h ago

@spocko Basically, the Russians won on both first colored person in space, first woman in space, first Latino in space etc.

Granted, they were doing it for the propaganda value to show that the US space program was racist, sexist, etc....but, you know, it was...

Show threadSammi5h ago
@spocko Perhaps a timely reminder that the first woman in space was 1963, Valentina Tereshkova and she is the only woman to have flown solo in space. She did this at the age of 26.
Show threadRachel Greenham4h ago
@spocko BBC news had her on for reactions after the launch (among others). Fraid I had the sound off… interviewer was too annoying.
Show threadCarolyn3h ago
@spocko And Canadian! 🙂
Show threadCraig Hockenberry2h ago
@spocko Typo on her last name: should be Jemison.
Show threadSpocko2h ago
@chockenberry Thank you! And thank you #Mastodon for having an edit function.
Show threadCraig Hockenberry1h ago
@spocko No problem. Glad to see you getting more people know about her and her accomplishments!
Show threaddecapitae2h ago
@spocko 🖖
Show threadCoastalCoasting1h ago

@spocko

Do you know how the backstage moment with Nichols happened?

That would be a supremely cool casting perk, meeting my heroes and getting to be on the show that inspired so much... Jemison got to live 3 of my dreams and I salute her for it.