On October 5, 2022, NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann became the first Native American woman to launch into space. Mann is also the first woman to command a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The 45-year-old is a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched four astronauts on a journey to the International Space Station Wednesday, including the first Russian cosmonaut to travel aboard one of the company's capsules and the first Native American woman to ever fly into space.
After a slight delay prompted by Hurricane Ian, Hawthorne-based SpaceX will attempt to make more aerospace history Wednesday, when it is set to launch another set of astronauts to the International Space Station.