SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from left, Anna Kikina, of Russia, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, and Koichi Wakata, of Japan, pose for a photo as they leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Today, an astronaut born in Petaluma has made history as the first Native American woman in space. Nicole Mann is a member of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-Five Mission to the International Space Station. The launch, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was successful at around 9 AM Pacific. Mann is a commander aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. She and her crew are scheduled to stay aboard the International Space Station for five months. The 45-year-old is a decorated U.S. Marine Corps pilot and has flown 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.