October 8, 2026
Jessica Watkins Makes History As 1st Black Woman To Lead Crew Into Orbit
Her latest mission also makes Watkins the first NASA astronaut to launch twice aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins has made history as the first Black woman to command a crew into orbit, adding another milestone to her groundbreaking career in space exploration, The Guardian reports.
Watkins commanded NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission, which launched Oct. 1 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. The mission marks Watkins’ second trip to the International Space Station.
The four-person crew includes NASA astronaut Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The astronauts joined the space station’s Expedition 75 crew for a long-duration science mission.
The flight builds on Watkins’ history-making achievements at NASA. In 2022, she became the first Black woman to complete a long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station while serving as a mission specialist on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4. Watkins spent 170 days in space during that mission and orbited Earth 2,720 times.
Her latest mission also makes Watkins the first NASA astronaut to launch twice aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
“We are so excited to be here. This is truly a special place,” Watkins said after arriving at the space station, according to the outlet.
“It’s amazing and kind of ironic to think that it’s such a short trip to get here because the journey to get here has been long.”
Watkins’ journey to commanding a space mission is rooted in science. She earned a bachelor’s degree in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University and a doctorate in geology from UCLA. Her previous work includes studying Mars’ surface and contributing to the science team for NASA’s Curiosity rover.
During Crew-13, Watkins and her crewmates will conduct research focused on areas including human health, disease modeling, and crop production in microgravity. The research could help scientists improve life on Earth while advancing preparations for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
NASA selected Watkins as an astronaut in 2017. Her latest mission further cements her place in spaceflight history while expanding Black women’s representation in an industry where they have long been underrepresented.
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