Watch with Us: WCC alum makes history in space
Washtenaw Community College alumna Aisha Bowe will achieve a long-time dream when she crosses into space as part of an all-woman crew aboard Blue Origin’s latest New Shepard flight, scheduled for liftoff at 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday, April 14.
This landmark moment in history will include the following on Blue Origin's New Sephard NS-31 Mission:
- Aisha Bowe, aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, STEM advocate
- Amanda Nguyen, civil rights activist
- Gayle King, author, broadcast journalist, TV personality
- Katy Perry, pop star
- Lauren Sanchez, author, journalist, pilot
- Kerianne Flynn, film producer
The crew will be 62 miles above Earth, crossing the Kármán line—recognized as the boundary of space.
They’ll experience about two minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth in an 11-minute flight. To date, only five Black women have crossed the Kármán line: Mae Jemison, Joan Higginbotham, Dr. Sian Proctor, Jessica Watkins, and Stephanie Wilson. Bowe is set to become the sixth.
Did you know Aisha Bowe is not the only tie that WCC has to the launch? Nathan Perry, who earned a Pre-Engineering Science Transfer associate degree from WCC is a Launch Vehicle Test Engineer for Blue Origin. Perry works hands-on with the crew capsule, the section at the top of the New Shepard rocket that carries scientific payloads and astronauts during launches.
New Shepard Livestream
Livestream will start at 9:00 a.m. on April 14.
This mission is about redefining what’s possible and showing young people, especially
girls, that they belong in every field.
– Aisha Bowe
About Aisha Bowe
Bowe grew up in a working-class family. Despite a high school counselor’s recommendation to pursue cosmetology, her father encouraged her to take a math course at WCC. That’s where Bowe's impressive career journey all started – with the confidence she gained by earning an A in an Intermediate Algebra class at WCC. She progressed through three levels of Calculus at WCC, dreaming bigger after each. The self-professed “under-achieving” high school student started shooting for the stars – and a career as a rocket scientist.
That led to her transfer to the University of Michigan, where she earned degrees in aerospace engineering (B.S., 2008) and space systems engineering (M.S., 2009). Inspired by science fiction and mentored by NASA scientist Thomas Zurbuchen, Bowe pursued a career in aerospace.
Aerospace Engineer
Bowe spent nearly seven years working for NASA as a rocket scientist. She is the recipient of the National Society of Black Engineers award for Outstanding Technical Contribution. She is now an advocate, entrepreneur and Blue Origin astronaut.
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STEM Advocate
A passionate advocate for STEM education and community colleges, Bowe established a scholarship for WCC students and continues to champion access to opportunity for all.
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Entrepreneur
Bowe is the co-founder and CEO of STEMBoard, an Inc. 5000-recognized engineering firm, and founder of LINGO, a hands-on coding kit startup on a mission to equip one million students with STEM skills.
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