It’s no secret that Black women consistently rank among the most educated groups in the U.S. In fact, roughly 71 percent of master’s degrees earned by Black students go to Black women as well as 65 percent of doctoral, medical and dental degrees, according to AAUW. So it shouldn’t be surprising just how many Black women have made their mark on the world of NASA, which is home to some of the most complicated and expensive space explorations.
Historically, Black women have played “hidden” roles at NASA since the 1940s. Now, their work is finally being recognized with the Artemis II mission. We previously told you four astronauts launched into space on April 1 with plans to reach the moon. Notably, there’s one Black woman leading the charge from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.