Japanese astronaut

Japanese Spacelab with first African-American woman astronaut

Japanese  Spacelab with first African-American woman astronaut

Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-47 had many firsts. The 50th Shuttle flight marks the first NASA mission devoted primarily to Japan. The international crew included the first Japanese astronaut to fly aboard the Shuttle a NASA spacecraft, payload specialist Dr. Mamoru Mohri. Other crew members included the first African-American woman to fly in space, Mae Jemison, and contrary to normal NASA policy, the first married couple to fly on the same space mission, Mark Lee and Jan Davis.

In the top photo the STS-47 crewmembers assemble for their traditional onboard (in-flight) portrait in the Spacelab Japan (SLJ) science module aboard the Earth-orbiting Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105. Pictured, left to right, back row are Commander Robert L. Gibson and Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Jr; middle row Mission Specialist (MS) N. Jan Davis, MS Jerome Apt, and MS Mae C. Jemison; and front row MS and Payload Commander (PLC) Mark C. Lee and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri. Mohri represents Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA). The crew was divided into red and blue teams for around the clock operations.

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