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Out of this world: soar into space with a history-making astronaut

Science World, Nov 13, 2006 by Mona Chiang

Mae Jemison looked out the window and saw Chicago passing by. The scientist wasn't looking out of any old window. She was observing her childhood hometown from far above Earth's surface--from the space shuttle.

In 1987, Jemison was selected to become an astronaut, making her the first African-American female astronaut. In 1992, she made world history as the first woman of color in space. As the science mission specialist onboard Endeavour, she performed experiments while the shuttle made 127 orbits at roughly 482 kilometers (260 nautical miles) above Earth. "Each day was exciting and challenging," says Jemison of her experience in space.

In some ways, Jemison's trip into space had been in her plans even before she completed kindergarten. One day, the 5-year-old boldly announced to her teacher that she planned to be a scientist.

AIM HIGH

As a child, Jemison's curiosity about the world sent her on frequent trips to the library. There, she devoured books on many different subjects. In fourth grade, "I particularly loved learning about how Earth was created," she says. "I wanted to know how life evolved, how we ended up here, and how big space was."

The budding scientist also enjoyed watching the 1960s TV show Star Trek. She found the character Lieutenant Uhura particularly engaging. Played by African-American actress Nichelle Nichols, the chief communications officer explored the galaxy with a crew made up of people from all over the world. This vision fueled Jemison's belief that she, too, would explore space.

At age 16, Jemison entered Stanford University in California, where she earned degrees in chemical engineering and African Studies. She continued her studies by going to medical school at Cornell University in New York City and becoming a physician.

Following medical school, Jemison worked as the Area Peace Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa, bringing health care to people in those nations. She also worked as a general practitioner in Los Angeles, California. While working there, she applied for a spot with NASA. In 1987, she was selected to become an astronaut.

BLAST OFF

On September 12, 1992, Jemison lifted off from Earth and spent eight days working aboard Endeavour. "It feels very different from being on Earth," she says of living in space.

Aboard the shuttle, astronauts float because they experience gravity a little differently than they do on Earth. This attracting force that pulls objects toward one another is everywhere, even in space. You are pulled to Earth's surface because Earth is so massive. To avoid being dragged back to Earth's surface, the space shuttle travels very quickly around Earth--at speeds of approximately 28,000 km (17,500 mi) per hour. That velocity (speed in one direction) is just fast enough to offset the pull of gravity. The shuttle's forward velocity combines with the downward pull of Earth's gravity, bending the path of the shuttle as it falls. So instead of falling directly down to Earth, the space shuttle and its astronauts fall in a path around Earth. Since the shuttle and the astronauts inside are falling together at the same rate, the astronauts float.

Jemison, an avid dancer, tried dancing in this microgravity environment. "It felt very free," she says. "For example, I could easily spin which I can't do here on Earth." While moving in weight-lessness is fun, the microgravity environment can be harsh on the body. "Your muscles start to weaken because you're not carrying your body weight," says Jemison. Also, when no stress is placed on the bones, the bones weaken. One of Jemison's onboard experiments studied bone growth in microgravity.

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

Jemison left NASA in 1993. Since then, she has worked in several other areas, including designing technology that could help improve human lives, teaching at universities, and starting The Earth We Share, an international space camp. She even appeared in an episode of the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Does Jemison think that she has accomplished everything that she wants to do in life? "Absolutely not. I'm still making up things."

Did You Know?

* There are no age restrictions for the NASA astronaut program. The average age of past candidates was 34.

* To qualify as a NASA mission-specialist astronaut, a candidate must be able to pass a space physical, which is similar to a military or civilian flight physical. The candidate must have good vision: 20/200 or better uncorrected--or correctable to 20/20. The candidate must also be between 58.5 and 76 inches tall.