Nicole Mann Just Became The First Native American Woman To Conduct A Space Walk
Malorie Thompson
A NASA astronaut just became the first Native American woman to conduct a spacewalk in the history of space exploration.
According to ABC Action News, Nicole Mann conducted the spacewalk with Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata on Friday, January 20, 2023.
Photo: In total, they spent more than 7 hours working on a platform in space that will be the home to solar arrays later this year.
ABC Action News reported that this was the 258th spacewalk in the history of the International Space Station and the first spacewalk of 2023.
Photo: According to NASA, Mann, who was born in Petaluma, California, is the first indigenous woman from NASA to go to space at all. They added that she is registered with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
She's been working with NASA since 2013 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Photo: According to Reuters, Mann was sent to the International Space Station back in October and is slated to work there through March of 2023.
Speaking with the outlet, she said: "I feel very proud. It's important that we celebrate our diversity and really communicate that specifically to the younger generation."
