Col. Nicole Mann

NASA Astronaut and Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps

Colonel Nicole Mann was selected by NASA in June 2013. She launched to the International Space Station as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endurance, on October 5, 2022. The Crew-5 astronauts lived and worked aboard the ISS for nearly six months as part of Expedition 68. During their mission, Crew-5 contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including cardiovascular health, bioprinting, and fluid behavior in microgravity to prepare for human exploration beyond low- Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth. After splashing down safely in their Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, March 11, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 completed the agency’s fifth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station. The international crew of four spent 157 days in orbit. Mann conducted two spacewalks totaling 14 hours, 02 minutes. The California native holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Mann is a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a combat fighter pilot and test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. She deployed twice aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. She is the first indigenous woman from NASA to go to space. She is registered with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.