First Peace Corps Astronaut | Mae Jemison (Liberia, Sierra Leone)

In tributes unique among NASA’s field centers, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex preserves the feats of the nation’s astronauts. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is part of the Legends and Heroes exhibit. In addition, a vast collection of astronaut memorabilia and the stunning black granite Space Mirror Memorial honor their service and sacrifices. The premier spaceport has memorialized astronauts’ bravery, accomplishments and wisdom over the decades for the world’s inspiration and hope. In their own words, astronauts share insights from exploring space.

The Peace Corps’ Mae Jemison

As mission specialist in 1992, Mae Jemison works at an experiment rack inside the Spacelab module installed in Endeavour’s cargo bay.ae Jemison, an engineer and physician for the Peace Corps in (Liberia & Sierra Leone 1983-85), became the first African American woman to fly in space on the shuttle Endeavour Spacelab on Sept. 12, 1992. She served as a science mission specialist in a cooperative mission between the United States and Japan, which included 44 experiments in life science and materials processing. She served in the Peace Corps prior to joining NASA and taught at Dartmouth College after she left NASA in 1993. She started a consulting company to market advanced technologies. She is an advocate for worldwide health needs and active in many nonprofits. She appeared in a 1993 episode of TV’s sci-fi show, Star Trek. “

I was in training from when I was born until I became an astronaut, because as an astronaut you use all the skills you learn in life.