Florida’s Cape (AP) — CANAVERAL, Fla.The first Native American woman in space said on Wednesday that as her five-month mission gets started, she is channelling “good energy” because she is so moved by Mother Earth’s beauty and delicate nature.
Nicole Mann, a NASA astronaut, stated from the International Space Station that she has been blessed and prayed for a lot by her family and tribal community. She is an Indian who belongs to the Wailacki tribe of Northern California’s Round Valley Indian Tribes.
She brought with her the dream catcher she had brought with her, a treasured present from her mother when she was a little girl. She claimed that the modest, traditional webbed hoop with feathers, which serves as protection, has given her courage when things have been difficult. She flew combat missions for the Marines in Iraq before she joined NASA in 2013.
The Associated Press, which gathered inquiries from readers and tribal news outlets across the nation, quoted Mann as saying, “It’s the strength to know that I have the support of my family and community back home and that when things are difficult or things are getting hard or I’m getting burnt-out or frustrated, that strength is something that I will draw on to continue toward a successful mission.”
She claimed that she has always followed her mother’s counsel regarding the value of pleasant vibes, particularly on launch day.
She said it may be challenging for some people to comprehend because it isn’t actually tangible. However, controlling that good energy is crucial because it helps you regulate your attitude.
According to Mann, a 45-year-old Marine colonel and test pilot from Petaluma, California, the space station is inhabited by a variety of people. Three Americans, three Russians, and one Japanese astronaut are currently residing there.
In doing so, she remarked, “that simply underlines our diversity and how amazing it is when we come together as a human species, the wonderful things that we can do and that we can accomplish.”
She claimed that although she was attracted to the stars and space as a child, she had no idea how people became astronauts or even what they did.
“Unfortunately, in my opinion at the moment, it was not conceivable,” she remarked.
Later in her career, it changed. She is currently admiring the expansive views of Earth from 260 miles (420 kilometres) above and is expecting to observe the constellations while urging children to pursue their ambitions.
The feelings are “very overwhelming” while describing Earth from orbit, she said. “It’s difficult to resist staying in the cupola (lookout) all day to just observe our planet Earth and how beautiful she is, how delicate and fragile she is against the blackest black that I’ve ever seen — space — in the background,” the author said of the incredible scene of colour, clouds, and land.
On October 5, Mann launched into space with SpaceX. She’ll stay there through March. Her 10-year-old kid lives with her and her husband, a retired Navy fighter pilot, in their Houston house.
John Herrington of the Chickasaw Nation, a retired astronaut, became the first American Indian to travel to space in 2002.
