Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison was not only the first black woman to travel in space but also an accomplished engineer and physician. On September 12, 1992, she flew into space on the Shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-47. As mission specialist, she was responsible for conducting scientific experiments exploring weightlessness, motion sickness and bone cells while on the shuttle. Despite NASA's rigid protocol, she would always begin each shift with a salute that only a Trekkie could appreciate, "hailing frequencies open" she would repeat throughout the 8-day mission. Because of her love of dance, she took an Alvin Ailey poster with her on the mission saying that "science and dance are both expressions of the boundless creativity that people have to share with one another". She left NASA in 1993 to start the Jemison Group that researches, markets and develops science and technology for daily life.