Nicole Mann’s Journey to Become First Native American Woman in Space

As the NASA/SpaceX Mission Commander, Marine Col. Nicole
Mann (Wailaki) is responsible for all phases of the flight, from
launch to reentry. (Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA)

When SpaceX launched their last manned mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station, the mission’s commander, Nicole Mann, made history  by becoming the first ever Native American woman in space, and the only woman of color to serve in the role of commander in a space mission.

A former Marine Corps pilot, Mann joined NASA in 2013, and the six-month mission launched a year and a half ago was her first voyage. Twenty years after John Herrington traveled into space as the first Native American male to do so, Mann and her crew conducted more than 200 experiments on the International Space Station.

Mann is Wailaki, a Northern California tribe of Round Valley Reservation. “I feel very proud,” she shared, as reported by the Guardian’s Maya Yang. “It’s important that we celebrate our diversity and really communicate that specifically to the younger generation.”

“These young women, maybe Natives, maybe people from different backgrounds that realize that they have these opportunities and [that] potentially these barriers that used to be there are starting to be broken down,” she told NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Former NASA astronaut, John Herrington (Chickasaw Nation), was
the first Native American man to travel into space. He is also a retired
naval aviator and engineer. (Photo Credit: Alabama Public Radio)

Born on June 27, 1977, Mann grew up in Penngrove, California. She attended the US Naval Academy and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and was a Trident Scholar and a Distinguished Graduate. She later attended graduate school at Stanford University, and received a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in fluid mechanics.

Mann’s military career began in the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. She’s flown 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has served as a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet, received two Air Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

 

The Marine pilot poses for a portrait in a T-38 trainer jet at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. (Photo Credit: NASA)

In an interview with NPR, Mann referred to her voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) with crew members Josh Cassada, Anna Kikina and Koichi Wakata as a goal worth going for and a dream come true.

“It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties, flying jets in the Marine Corps, that I realized that being an astronaut was not only something that was a possible dream, but was actually something that was quite attainable,” Mann said during a team press conference.

In 2013, Mann was selected as one of the eight members of NASA Astronaut Group 21. She completed her training in 2015 and has since served as a T-38 Talon Safety and Training Officer and was the Assistant to the Chief of Exploration. Mann then worked on development of the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System, and the Exploration Ground Systems. In August 2018 she was assigned to Boe-CFT, the first crewed test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. In October 2021, NASA moved Mann to fly on SpaceX's Crew-5 mission as the Spacecraft Commander for the 6-month mission. She is now a contender to be the first woman on the Moon as part of the crewed lunar landing currently scheduled for 2025.

Group 21 astronauts. Back row, L-R: Meir, Cassada, Glover, Morgan and Koch. Front row, L-R: McClain, Hague and Mann (Photo Credit: NASA)

At the press conference, Mann stated, “I think a lot of people sometimes will ask, ‘how does it feel to be a female astronaut or a female Marine?’ Well, I think it’s important that young girls realize that they have these leadership opportunities for them. But from an operational perspective, to be honest, it really doesn’t matter if you’re a woman or a man, or what country you’re from or your gender or your race. We are coming together as a human race.”

She is “the crew’s quarterback,” as Jackie Wattles writes for CNN. That means she is responsible for “all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry,” according to NASA. While onboard the ISS, Mann also served as a flight engineer. (Photo Credit: NASA)

“It’s the strength to know that I have the support of my family and community back home and that when things are difficult, or things are getting hard, or I’m getting burned out or frustrated, that strength is something that I will draw on to continue toward a successful mission,” Mann told The Associated Press, which gathered questions from members and tribal news outlets across the country.

“I have a 10-year-old son, and we talk a lot about what I'm doing and what it means to go on this mission. Sometimes I have to spend a lot of time away from home. So we talk about that balance of what I'm doing for work but how much I love my family and my son and how much it is important that I'm there for them,” she shared.

Mann is married to Travis R. Mann, with whom she has a son. In an interview with
National Geographic, she said she and her son often sit outside looking at the moon,
and "hopefully someday he'll be able to watch Mom fly by and walk on the moon.”
(Photo Credit: Nicole Mann)

“Right before launch we were hanging out at Kennedy Space Center and my son came to me and he said, "Mom, you know, I'm really going to miss you when you're gone, but I want you to know that I understand what you're doing is really important, for the exploration of space and for all humans on Earth." He told me, "Mom, I want you to know it's OK and I'm really proud of you." That totally made me cry. It's a proud moment because you try to teach your children, try to instill in them the importance of being a part of something greater than yourself and to have this global perspective.”

In an interview from the International Space Station with ESPN's Laughter Permitted, Mann shares her answer to the question on what helped support her the most during her career, "I'm going to have to give a cheer to my husband Travis and my son Jack. They're back on Earth holding down the fort, taking care of everything while I'm up here living my dream; executing my dream. And really, it's their love and support that's so important. I really, truly think that nobody can do anything on this Earth on their own, right? They need their team; their family; their support network -- whatever is those people that support you and pick you up. And if it wasn't for the support of my husband the day I told him, 'Hey, I think NASA's accepting applications but it's crazy -- I'm pregnant, we're about to have a kid; I don't think we can do this,' and he looked at me like I was crazy and said, 'You have to apply. If you never apply, you're never going to make it and there's never a good time.' So thank you, Travis, and thank you, Jack. Your love and support means the world to me."

During its mission, the Crew-5 members lived and worked aboard the station, contributing to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations throughout their 157 days in orbit, including cardiovascular health, bioprinting, and fluid behavior in microgravity to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth. Mann conducted two spacewalks totaling 14 hours, 02 minutes, and supported as the robotic arm operator in capturing the NG-18 cargo resupply spacecraft, S.S. Sally Ride.

As for describing Earth from space, “the emotions are absolutely overwhelming,” she said. “It is an incredible scene of color, of clouds and land, and it’s difficult not to stay in the cupola (lookout) all day and just see our planet Earth and how beautiful she is, and how delicate and fragile she is against the blackest of black that I’ve ever seen — space — in the background.”

In this image from video made available by NASA, Mann shows off her dream catcher, a surprise
gift her mother gave her before the flight. (Photo Credit: NASA)

In reflecting on the contrast between her military service and her work with NASA, she spoke about focus and how she has learned to “compartmentalize.”

“That's something that I apply every day, to be honest,” she said.

“When you're flying off an aircraft carrier, you must be incredibly focused on the task that you're doing. That's the most important thing at that moment. When you launch, you accelerate to 500 knots in 500 feet and you go through checks of all of your systems. Then when you're in-country and you're supporting the Marines or other troops on the ground, you've got to be laser focused on exactly what you're doing and not worried about coming back to the aircraft carrier and landing in maybe bad weather at night on a pitching deck,” she said.

“And when you're coming back to land, you need to be laser focused on landing and you can't think about what just happened. It's the same thing when you're in space. It's the same thing with life, right?

“When you are giving your son a bath, focus on giving your son a bath,” she added. “Be present and be in the moment when you're working or you're in school or you're at your job. Focus on doing that. When it's time to relax and have a good time, relax and have a good time.”

In 2023, Mann received the honor of being named as one of USA Today’s Women of the Year. “It makes me proud to be able to follow in the footsteps of those trailblazers – other Native American women who have been involved in the aerospace industry and in engineering,” Mann said. “It was a long line of people who broke down barriers over the years to create these opportunities. I feel grateful to be able to participate and represent on board the International Space Station.”

The astronaut visits Petaluma High School. The Petaluma, California-born hero received a decree from the
mayor recognizing Sept. 19 as “Nicole Mann Day.” Since returning to Earth, Mann has continued to make
an impact in her community and beyond.(Photo Credit: Crissy Pascual/Arugus-Courier Staff)

“Growing up, I worked hard to become a Marine, to become a fighter pilot, to become an engineer and an astronaut. Not to be a female Marine or not to be a Native American engineer. But as I grew older and kind of opened up my perspective from just myself, I realized how important it is that we recognize diversity and how important it is that we reach out to the younger generation. The harsh reality is we still live in a world where there are barriers and where there are inequalities which stifle progress. So it's important that we communicate specifically to the younger generation, that we tell our stories and hopefully they'll share in our journey. Hopefully, I can play a part in inspiring that younger generation.”

When Mann speaks to the next generation of astronauts and explorers, she reflects back on her own youth and what she would have liked to share with her younger self. “I would just tell my younger self that it's all worth it. The hard work is worth it. It's OK if sometimes you struggle and things are challenging – they're supposed to be challenging. But in the end, you're going to look back and be very proud.”

EDITOR’S VIDEO PICKS: MEET NICOLE AT THE SPACE STATION AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORICAL MISSION:

People have viewed a plethora of interviews between Earth and the International Space Station, including Commander Mann’s mission. NAT sourced two videos we found to be highly informal, fun, inspirational and educational rolled all into one.