Suggested Searches

1 min read

John Herrington, First Native American in Space

Astronaut John B. Herrington, STS-113 mission specialist, pictured on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Astronaut John B. Herrington, STS-113 mission specialist, floats on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour in this image from Nov. 30, 2002.
NASA

Astronaut John B. Herrington, STS-113 mission specialist, floats on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour in this image from Nov. 30, 2002.

When he traveled to space as part of Space Shuttle Endeavour’s STS-113 mission, he became the first Native American in space. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, Herrington carried its flag on his 13-day trip to space, as well as several personal items with him, including a traditional flute. On STS-113, he logged over 330 hours in space, including three EVAs totaling 19 hours and 55 minutes.