Spacewalk: First Native American woman goes into space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first Native American woman in space ventured out on a spacewalk Friday to prep the International Space Station for more solar panels.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann Koichi Wakata from Japan was also present, carrying an equipment bag. As part of NASA’s ongoing efforts to expand the power grid, their job was to install brackets to support new solar panels.

Mann, a Marine colonel, and test pilot, was the first Native American woman to orbit with SpaceX last fall. She is a member the Wailacki Tribes of Round Valley Indian Tribes, Northern California.

SpaceX was also launched by Wakata, Japan’s spaceflight leader, who flew five missions. He was part of the building team for the station in the shuttle era.

Friday was the first spacewalk by both.

The space station will be left empty in a month.

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