STS-47 Destination:
Conduct Material/Life Science Experiments in Orbit

Mae C. Jemison was the first female African American astronaut. Jemison is a physician, a Peace Corps volunteer, a teacher, and founder and president of two technology companies.

In 1987, Jemison was one of only 15 people accepted into the NASA astronaut program. On Sept. 12, 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space when the space shuttle Endeavour carried her and six other astronauts on 126 orbits around the Earth. A mission specialist, Jemison was a co-investigator of two bone cell research experiments, one of 43 scientific investigations that were done on mission STS-47.

She went on to teach at Dartmouth College. She also founded her own company, the Jemison Group, which seeks to encourage a love of science in students and bring advanced technology to schools around the world. She is a strong advocate for science and established an international science camp for high school students. She has also taken over leadership of the 100-Year Starship program established by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The project works to make human space travel beyond the solar system a reality within the next century — but in a way that includes and benefits as many people on Earth as possible.

– Space.com

In 1993 she appeared as Lieutenant junior grade Palmer in the Star Trek: The Next Generation sixth season episode “Second Chances”. Jemison is also a good friend of Nichelle Nichols who visited her on the set while filming “Second Chances.” She has the unique distinction of being the first “real” astronaut to ever appear on Star Trek.

– Star Trek Wiki