Joan Higginbotham
"If we can get along and work toward a common goal in this small tin can of a spaceship, why can't we do it down on Earth, where there is so much more space?" — Joan Higginbotham
Born in 1964 in Chicago, Illinois, Joan Elizabeth Higginbotham maintained a distinguished 20-year career with NASA as a real-life rocket scientist and astronaut. Higginbotham's career with NASA began in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center after graduating from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. She then worked her way through numerous promotions that resulted in her testing various mechanics of the International Space Station for operability, compatibility, and functionality before launch. Within her nine-year tenure at Kennedy Space Center, Higginbotham actively participated in 53 space shuttle launches.
The path of an astronaut was not always a dream for Joan Higginbotham. Yet when the opportunity arose for her to join the NASA Astronaut Corps, she became one of 6,000 people to apply and 122 interviewed for the astronaut program. Initially, she was rejected from the program, requiring her to continue her education by earning a Master's degree in Space Systems. In 1996 Higginbotham was accepted as a NASA astronaut candidate, reporting to the Johnson Space Center during the summer of that year.
Following her joining the Astronaut Corps, Higginbotham became a member of the STS-116 Discovery crew. The seven-member crew would embark on a 12-day mission (December 9-22, 2006) to continue construction of the International Space Station. Higginbotham's primary task was to operate the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). After the Discovery left Earth's atmosphere, Higginbotham earned the title of the third African American woman to travel to space. The mission's duration was 12 days, 20 hours, and 45 minutes. Following the crew's return to Earth, Higginbotham was assigned to the STS-126, scheduled for launch in September 2008. In November 2007, she retired from NASA to pursue a career in the private sector. Even though her time with NASA has ended, Joan Higginbotham continues to be involved with human space exploration.