Colorado's Jessica Watkins Set To Make History In Space
DENVER (CBS4) - A Coloradan is making her way to space in the next few weeks and will make history in doing so.
Astronaut Jessica Watkins will become the first Black woman to spend six months on the International Space Station. She's part of NASA's CREW-4 mission.
Watkins grew up in Colorado, and visits often with her family living in Boulder.
"Colorado has a pretty good showing in the astronaut corps actually with quite a bit of representation so I'm happy to add my name to the list and try to represent you all well," Watkins told CBS4's Michelle Griego during a media call Thursday.
Watkins also encouraged young girls and all children to find what they love and never stop pursuing it.
"I certainly would encourage any young girls, young children of color, and young children in general to find something you love and pursue that relentlessly," Watkins said. "For this job in particular, we're looking at the STEM fields, but anything within that realm, find something you really love and seek out opportunities to do that."
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The launch is scheduled for April 19 from Kennedy Space Center.
