When you’re a dancer, a doctor and a chemical engineer—and have the uncommon distinction of having entered Stanford University at age 16—you hardly need more accomplishments. But Jemison, who also worked for the Peace Corps from 1985 to 1987, added one more laurel when she was accepted into the astronaut corps and flew aboard the shuttle Endeavor during its Sept. 1992 mission, becoming the first African American woman in space. It was impatience as much as anything else that drove her to the shuttle program. Born in 1956 in Decatur, Ala., she fell in love with space travel like many other kids of her era and assumed that by the time she was a young adult, it would be a common experience for everyone. When that turned out not to be the case, she decided to make her own way, reckoning that it was easier “than waiting around in a cornfield, waiting for ET to pick me up.”
The Rise of the Spacewoman: 10 Women Who Conquered the Final Frontier
Riding rocket ships was once an all-boys' game. Valentina Tereshkova changed that for the Russians and Sally Ride changed it for the U.S. With the passing of Ride, here's a look at some of those who came before and followed.