Nicole Aunapu Mann is set to be the first Native American woman to go to space. She is traveling with Josh Cassada, Koichi Wakata and Anna Kikina to the International Space Station. Mann will be mission commander and it will be a six month long mission.
Mann is a US Naval Academy, Stanford University and the US Naval Test Pilot School graduate. She was originally a naval aviator, gaining experience through missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In total, she accumulated over 2,500 flight hours in several different types of aircrafts during the combat missions.
Mann was selected by NASA in 2013 as one of the members of NASA Astronaut Group 21. She led the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System. The upcoming mission is to prepare for continued exploration in space.
Mann is a member of the Wailacki tribe. She is bringing a dreamcatcher that her mother gave her when she was young along with her, a symbol of her heritage. Mann said “We are coming together as a human race. And our mission on board the International Space Station of developing this technology and research to benefit all of humankind is really what brings us together."