Nicole Mann became hooked on flying while attending the U.S. Naval Academy. The first time she rode in an F-18 fighter plane, she knew that she wanted to become a pilot. After flying dozens of missions in two U.S. wars, Mann made a visit to NASA that changed the course of her career. Inspired by the astronauts she met that day, she soon applied to become one herself. In 2023, Mann served as the commander of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Part of the Women Blazing the Trail series, Nicole Mann, NASA Astronaut tells the story of how the first Native American woman in space went from the U.S. Marine Corps all the way to the ISS.
