Making space for women: for three Black, female astronauts, the sky is the limit

Ebony, August, 2006 by Shirley Henderson

WHEN astronaut Stephanie Wilson ascends into space this summer as the second African-American female to do so, the world will once again collectively look to the skies, captivated by space exploration.

Wilson's journey on the Space Shuttle Discovery as one of a 7-person crew aboard mission STS-121 comes 14 years after the historic flight of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel into space. Since Dr. Jemison's groundbreaking efforts in aeronautics, Wilson and two other Black female astronauts have proven to be uniquely qualified in the field of space travel and exploration.

The first to follow in Jemison's gravity-defying footsteps will be Wilson, 39, a mission specialist and Harvard University graduate who holds a degree in engineering science and a master of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas. She joined NASA in 1996 and was assigned to the STS-121 crew after 10 years of training. As a mission specialist, she will be an integral part of the rendezvous and documentation team that is responsible for piloting the shuttle while it docks and returns to Earth. The space journey will most likely be life-changing for Wilson, who, as a little girl growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, loved stargazing.

As was the case for her predecessor, Dr. Jemison, the space flight will highlight an already-stellar career. "When I came into the astronaut program, I had already spent a great deal of time overseas working in West Africa and [other] developing countries," says Jemison, who currently lives in Houston. Prior to joining NASA in 1987, Jemison had worked as an engineer and as a medical officer. She attended Chicago Public Schools and went on to attend Stanford University at the age of 16, obtaining a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. The history-making astronaut earned her degree in medicine at Cornell University Medical College. She left NASA in 1993 and is currently the founder of the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence.

Jemison brought her unique ideas and experiences with her to NASA and the astronaut program at a time when not everyone recognized the significance of space exploration or how it related to African-Americans. "First of all we have a right to explore the world and the universe. You don't have to have any other justification," she says. "But the reality is we have always been a part of space exploration. If you want to get into what it has to do with [us] here on Earth, well, communication satellites. In 20 to 30 years, we'll talk about who owns airspace above countries and who utilizes it. There are some really big sustentative issues that, on the ground, don't sound like it's housing or health care, but it really is. It's about where we are going to be and how will it continue to affect and control the future. It's worthwhile for us to become involved."

Each of the three African-American female astronauts currently at NASA has a key role in their respective areas of expertise. Col. Yvonne Darlene Cagle, M.D., is currently assigned to the Johnson Space Center's Space and Life Sciences Directorate. Although qualified for flight assignment as well, Col. Cagle's contribution to data pertaining to astronaut health and space telemedicine has been significant.

Chicago native Joan E. Higginbotham, who has been in full-time training since March in preparation for her space flight, is scheduled to go into space in December. She began her career in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center and has assisted in 53 space shuttle launches before she was selected for a flight mission. "When you are selected, you go through what I kind of liken to basic training," says Higginbotham, who says math and science were here favorite subjects in school. "You learn about all the shuttle systems and the systems on space stations. You learn how to fly, [you learn] water survival, land survival."

After receiving her astronaut pin, she was assigned as a Capcom--the astronaut on the ground who communicates with a space crew. She has also worked as a project engineer, a job that put her in charge of the overall shuttle and its preparation for launch.

Higginbotham says that a career in aeronautics requires dedication and perseverance and, at this point, she has not personally felt any additional pressures due to her race or gender. "I don't know if it [would have been] any different had I been a male," says Higginbotham, who enjoys weightlifting. "It's just extremely competitive straight across the board. I don't know that being a female played a factor for or against me."

During flights to outer space, astronauts are allowed to take along a few personal items on the shuttle with them. Higginbotham, who says that she isn't nervous about the upcoming mission, will take a photograph of her late father with her into space. She has also invited a host of family, friends, politicians and even fellow astronaut Dr. Jemison to witness her launch. If all goes according to schedule, she will be the third African-American female to travel in space by year's end.