Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Nicole Mann, first Native American woman astronaut

Nicole Aunapu Mann, born June 27, 1977 in Petaluma, California, became the first Native American woman in space when she launched with SpaceX Crew-5 in October 2022 to the International Space Station.  John Herrington was the first Native American in space when he flew aboard Endeavour (STS-113) in November 2002.

She has Wailaki heritage, and is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California.

Mann is currently participating in Expedition 68 and will continue in Expedition 69.  She is scheduled to return to Earth in March 2023.

Zhai Zhigang performs China's first spacewalk 2008

Launched on Shenzhou 7 just two days before, Zhai Zhigang stepped outside the spacecraft and conducted the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut on September 27, 2008. It only lasted about twenty minutes and was limited in scope.  Liu Boming waited in the airlock of the orbital module, in a Russian spacesuit, ready to provide help to Zhigang if necessary.

Jing Haipeng, the third astronaut, stayed in the re-entry module and monitored the situation of the spacecraft.