Meet The Black Woman Going To Space With Bezos’ Blue Origin

Former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe is the first Black woman confirmed to fly with Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, Blue Origin. 

Who is Aisha Bowe? 

Bowe, born and raised in Michigan, is the sixth Black woman to cross the boundary of space, also known as the Kármán line. The announcement came 30 years after former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel to space in 1992. 

“Today’s historic announcement about my flight is surreal and emotional,” said Bowe. “I’m thrilled [and] I’m excited, and I know that this experience will change my life forever.” 

Bowe had always dreamed of following in the footsteps of the greats before her. At a very young age, Bowe developed a deep love for all things science fiction and math. After being advised to study cosmetology in high school, Bowe decided to venture down a different path and studied mathematics at Washtenaw Community College. 

After finishing her education, she worked for NASA as a mission and then aerospace engineer. After that, she became a motivational speaker at the US State Department, where she continues to inspire young Black students worldwide. 

The social entrepreneur and founder

Bowe’s primary goal is to champion Black women and remove our negative stereotypes. Over the years, Bowe has accomplished a lot as a social entrepreneur. Her organization STEMBoard is an award-winning tech company featured on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. Bowe is also the founder of the venture-backed organization LINGO, which provides self-paced coding kits to help students learn how to code at home. 

“I’ve dedicated my life to helping people break the stereotype. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of these pioneers as we begin to realize the potential of public access to space.”