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Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
National
Richard Tribou

Astronaut slated to become first Black woman to stay long-term on space station

Jessica Watkins NASA Bob Hines Kjell Lindgren Mae Jemison Samantha Cristoforetti ISS Fla International Space Station Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla — A couple of space rookies are joining a couple of veterans on a trip to the International Space Station this week, but one of them will open a new door of diversity as the first Black woman assigned for long-term duty on board.

Jessica Watkins, 33, is heading the ISS for her first trip to space as part of the Crew-4 mission set to launch on a new SpaceX Crew Dragon named Freedom. Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A is set for Saturday at 5:26 a.m.

Watkins arrived at the former shuttle landing facility at KSC on Monday with crewmates Commander Kjell Lindgren and pilot Bob Hines of NASA as well as European Space Agency mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti.

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