Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist, will be the first Black woman to travel on a commercial flight to space with Blue Origin, the private spaceflight company founded by Jeff Bezos. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, she completed her mathematics coursework at a local community college before enrolling at the University of Michigan to pursue an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
Aisha then pursued a career as a rocket scientist working for NASA. She was also a U.S. State Department global speaker who inspired students all over the world.
She is expected to be only the sixth Black woman to pass the Kármán line, which is an arbitrary line attempting to mark the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space.
Her flight was announced 30 years after former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel to space in 1992. Since then, there have been only four other Black women who have achieved that feat: NASA astronauts Stephanie Wilson, Joan Higginbotham, Jessica Watkins, and Dr. Sian Proctor of the SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission.
“Today’s historic announcement about my flight is both surreal and emotional,” Aisha said in an official statement. “I’m thrilled, I’m excited, and I know that this experience will change my life forever,” she added. However, the date for the spacecraft flight has not been disclosed yet.
“I’ve dedicated my life to helping people break stereotypes,” said Aisha. “I am honored to follow in the footsteps of these pioneers as we begin to realize the potential of public access to space.”
According to Yahoo News, Aisha is a successful serial entrepreneur who has been named to Inc.’s fifth annual Female Founders 100 list which recognizes fearless women whose inventions and ideas are improving the world.
She is also the founder and CEO of the award-winning digital startup STEMBoard, which is listed among America’s fastest-growing businesses on the Inc. 5000 list.
She is also one of a small number of women of color who have successfully raised over $1 million in investment, which gives her another unique distinction.
Amazon, Target, and Walmart sell her venture-backed LINGO, which is a hands-on, self-paced coding kit that enables kids to learn how to code at home.
Visit her official website at AishaBowe.com and be sure to follow her on Instagram @AishaBowe
