Physician and engineer Mae Jemison launches aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
At a Glance
- Date
- 12 September 1992
- Location
- Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Key people
- Mae Jemison
- Category
- Science, Medicine & Invention
- Source
- NASA mission STS-47 records · NASA
What It Meant Then
She became the first African American woman to travel to space.
What It Means Now
Jemison's flight expanded the horizon for Black women in STEM.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Mae Jemison Becomes the First Black Woman in Space.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/mae-jemison-becomes-the-first-black-woman-in-space/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Mae Jemison Becomes the First Black Woman in Space. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/mae-jemison-becomes-the-first-black-woman-in-space/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Mae Jemison Becomes the First Black Woman in Space.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/mae-jemison-becomes-the-first-black-woman-in-space/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.