Nicole Aunapu Mann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicole Aunapu Mann
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Mann in 2022
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| Born |
Nicole Victoria Aunapu
June 27, 1977 Petaluma, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Duke | ||||||||||||||||
| Space career | |||||||||||||||||
| NASA astronaut | |||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Colonel, USMC | ||||||||||||||||
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Time in space
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157d 10h 1m | ||||||||||||||||
| Selection | NASA Group 21 (2013) | ||||||||||||||||
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Total EVAs
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2 | ||||||||||||||||
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Total EVA time
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14h 2m | ||||||||||||||||
| Missions | SpaceX Crew-5 (Expedition 68) | ||||||||||||||||
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Mission insignia
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Association football career
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Nicole Victoria Aunapu Mann (born June 27, 1977) is a brave Native American test pilot and NASA astronaut. She is also known by her nickname, "Duke." She flies F/A-18 Hornet jets.
Nicole Mann studied at the US Naval Academy and Stanford University. She also went to the US Naval Test Pilot School. She has flown over 2,500 hours in 25 different types of aircraft. She has also landed on aircraft carriers 200 times.
She flew 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2015, Mann finished her astronaut training. She was chosen to command the SpaceX Crew-5 mission. This made her the first female commander for a NASA Commercial Crew Program launch.
Her first trip to space began in October 2022. This made her the first Native American woman to go to space. She lived in space for several months. On January 20, 2023, she became the first Native American woman to do a spacewalk. She did this spacewalk with astronaut Koichi Wakata.
Contents
Nicole Mann's Early Life and Education
Nicole Victoria Aunapu Mann was born on June 27, 1977. Her parents are Howard and Victoria Aunapu. She grew up in Penngrove, California.
Her last name, Aunapu, comes from Estonia. Her grandfather, Helmuth Aunapu, was from Tallinn, Estonia. His family came from the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He moved to the United States in the 1920s. He later worked as an engineer for the US Armed Forces. Nicole Aunapu visited Estonia for the first time in September 2023.
Nicole Mann is a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. She has Wailaki heritage.
School and College Years
Mann finished high school in 1995. She went to Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, California. After high school, she attended the US Naval Academy. She graduated in 1999 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
She played soccer for the Navy Midshipmen women's team. She was a defender. She played in 75 games, scoring one goal and helping with four others. After joining the US Marine Corps, she went to Stanford University. There, she earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering. She focused on how fluids move, which is called fluid mechanics.
Nicole Mann's Military Career
After graduate school, Mann started flight training. She went to Naval Air Station Pensacola. In 2002, she earned her Naval Aviator wings. She then trained to fly the F/A-18 Hornet jet.
Mann joined a squadron called VMFA-251. She went on two deployments with the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. These missions supported Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As a naval aviator, her special nickname was "Duke." She also became an F/A-18 Test Pilot. She worked at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Nicole Mann's NASA Career
In 2013, NASA chose Mann to be one of eight new astronauts. She finished her training in 2015. Since then, she has worked as a safety and training officer for the T-38 Talon jet. She also helped the Chief of Exploration.
She worked on important projects like the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System, and the Exploration Ground Systems. In August 2018, she was assigned to the first crewed test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. However, in October 2021, her mission changed. She was moved to command the SpaceX Crew-5 mission.
Space Missions and Achievements
The SpaceX Crew-5 mission launched to the International Space Station on October 5, 2022. The crew lived on the International Space Station for six months. They landed safely in the Gulf of Mexico on March 11, 2023. The mission lasted 157 days. Nicole Mann brought a dreamcatcher her mother gave her to space.
Mann is also training for the international Artemis program. This program aims to send humans back to the Moon. She is a possible candidate to be the first woman on the Moon. This historic lunar landing is planned for 2026.
Nicole Mann's Personal Life
Nicole Mann is married to Travis R. Mann. They have one son together. In an interview in December 2020, she shared a special tradition. She and her son often sit outside and look at the Moon. She hopes that one day, her son will watch her fly by and walk on the Moon.
Awards and Honors
Nicole Mann received many awards for her hard work and achievements.
- As a student at the Naval Academy, she played soccer and was an Academic All American.
- She was a Trident Scholar and a Distinguished Graduate.
- In her military career, she earned two Air Medals.
- She also received two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
- She earned two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
- She was the top graduate in her US Naval Test Pilot School class.
- NASA gave her the 2015 Stephen D. Thorne Safety Award.
- She also received the 2017 Jerry Yeagley Award for Exceptional Personal Achievement.
- Mann is a member of several important groups, including the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
- She received the Leroy Grumman "Best Paper" Award.
See also
In Spanish: Nicole Aunapu Mann para niños
