So far, many female and male astronauts have gone to space from NASA, but when it comes to the first Native American woman, Nicole Aunapu Mann has got this privilege. Nicole Mann has waited nine years for her chance to go to space.
And if everything goes according to plan, that wait will end in the last week of September or October 03, when it will take NASA’s Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station. Nicole Aunapu Mann will be the first Native American woman to go into space.
Nicole Aunapu Mann is a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California. She told Reuters in an interview that her upcoming mission has sparked excitement in his community.
It is worth mentioning that the first Native American man to go into space was John Harrington in 2002.
Biography Of Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann: The First Native American Woman In Space
Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann is a Marine Colonel with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. She was recruited into NASA in 2013 and finished her candidate training two years later. This is a biographical description of American Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann.
| Name | Nicole Aunapu Mann |
| Full Name | Nicole “Duke” Victoria Aunapu Mann |
| Profession | Pilot, Astronaut |
| Nationality | American |
| She’s working for | NASA |
| Date of Birth | June 27, 1977 |
| Age | 45 Years |
| Birth Place | Petaluma, California, U.S. |
| Education | • Graduated in 1995 from Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, California. • She attended the US Naval Academy and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. • She attended graduate school at Stanford University, where she earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. |
| Rank | Colonel (USMC) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse Name | Travis R. Mann |
| Children | a son |
Nicole Aunapu Mann’s Family
| Mother’s Name | Victoria Aunapu |
| Father’s Name | Howard Aunapu |
| Husband’s Name | Travis Mann |
| Children | a son |
| Son’s name | – |
Personal Life Of Nicole Victoria Aunapu Mann
Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann is married to Travis R Mann, with whom she has a son. He is also very interested in knowing about space, the moon, and the sun. In an interview with National Geographic in December 2020, Nicole said that she and her son often sit outside and watch the moon, and “hopefully, someday, he will be able to see mom flying and walking on the moon.”
Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann’s Education
Nicole Victoria Aunapu Mann graduated from Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, California in the year 1995. She then attended the US Naval Academy where she graduated in the year 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
After receiving a commission in the US Marine Corps, She attended Stanford University’s graduate school, where she earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in fluid mechanics.
Who Is The First Native American Woman To Go Into Space?
Many male and female astronauts have gone to space through various NASA missions. But in the year 2022, history will be made when the first Native American woman will go to space. Nicole Aunapu Mann came into the limelight when she was selected by NASA in June 2013.
The name of the first Native American astronaut to go into space is Nicole Aunapu Mann. Remember, before this, the first Native American man to go to space was John Harrington, who went to space in the year 2002.
Nasa astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann will travel to the International Space Station at end of September / October.
Military Career Of Astronaut Nicole A. Mann
After graduating, Mann attended Basic School and began flight training at NAS Pensacola. She successfully completed training for the F/A-18 Hornet in VFA-106 at NAS Oceana and was awarded the Naval Aviator Wing in 2002. Nicole Mann joined VMFA-251 at MCAS Beaufort, participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and was twice deployed to the USS Enterprise with CVW-1.
She was a Class 135 member at the US Naval Test Pilot School and served as a F/A-18 test pilot on a VX-23 at NAS Patuxent River. At the time of her selection as an Astronaut Candidate, she was leading the Joint Mission Planning Systems Campaign Integrated Product Team at PMA-281.
Nicole Aunapu Mann NASA Career
In the year 2013, Nicole Aunapu Mann was chosen as one of the eight members of NASA’s Astronaut Group 21. She successfully completed her training in 2015. She has since served as a T-38 Talon Safety and Training Officer and was the Assistant to the Chief of Exploration. Nicole also worked on the development of the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System, and the Exploration Ground Systems.
After that In August 2018 she was assigned to Boe-CFT, the first crewed test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. However, in October 2021 Mann was moved to fly on SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission as the Spacecraft Commander, scheduled to fly to the International Space Station on September 29, 2022. She intends to take “a dreamcatcher her mother gave her when she was very young to mark the fact that she will be the first Native American woman to travel to space.
Summary: NASA Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann
Nicole Aunapu Mann was selected by the American space agency NASA in June 2013. She has completed her training for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission, the fifth rotational mission to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
If we talk about her educational qualification, the native of the US state of California has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Nicole Mann is a colonel in the Marine Corps and also served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. She also took part in combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which she twice deployed on aircraft carriers.
Her first space flight is scheduled for September / October 2022 and if everything goes according to NASA’s plan, she will become the first Native American woman in space.
FAQ About The Nicole Aunapu Mann: First Native American Woman in Space:
Q: Who is Nicole Aunapu Mann?
Ans. Nicole “Duke” Victoria Aunapu Mann is an American pilot and NASA astronaut.
Q: When and Where was Nicole Aunapu Mann Born?
Ans. She was born on 27 June 1977 in Petaluma, California U.S.
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