Genealogist Jessica Watkins, is a part of the few who made it. In late April 2022, Watkins embarked on a historic journey and became the first black woman in history to be a part of a space mission that lasted six months. 

Watkins had many role models growing up in similar occupations she wanted to pursue and is grateful to be contributing to an amazing legacy. After she returned in October 2022, Watkins said to NPR  “I think it really is just a tribute to the legacy of the Black women astronauts that have come before me, as well as to the exciting future ahead. And so I’m just honored to be a small part of that legacy moving forward.” 

Watkins was born May 14, 1988 in Gaithersburg, MD. She grew up in Lafayette, Colorado, and eventually obtained several degrees including a Bachelor of Science in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University, and a Doctorate in Geology from UCLA and particularly liked the idea of studying rocks and surfaces of other planets. 

As a young ambitious girl, Jessica Watkins always dreamed of being in space one day and even wrote a poem called “My Little Astronaut” going into depth about her dreams. 

Part of her motivation to become an astronaut was the lack of diversity and representation that still exists in many jobs, programs, television, and more. This issue has inspired Watkins. 

“I see places where I wish there was more representation, but I definitely felt the impact of the representation that did exist,” Watkins told CNN. “It was valuable to see people who looked like me who had backgrounds and experiences like me, in the roles that I aspired to, and contributing in the ways that I aspired to contribute.”

In the future, Watkins wants to continue her explorations by traveling to Mars one day and studying landmarks she’s only been able to research through data collected by satélites and Martian rovers. 

As a part of NASA’s Artemis crew, Watkins could be selected for an upcoming mission to the moon and eventually Mars.