6 Jemison savored the meal hoping she would be able to keep it down once she reached the microgravity environment in space But the most anticipated part of the breakfast came last the traditional pre takeoff cake complete with the mission's patch made out of frosting A UNIQUE MISSION STS 47 the fiftieth space shuttle flight in National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA history was characterized by a number of firsts Jemison was to be the first woman of color in space Mission specialists Jan Davis and Mark Lee would be the first married couple to fly together and Dr Mamoru Mohri would be the first Japanese citizen to travel on a NASA Jemison second from right was one of four first time astronauts on STS 47
7 spacecraft Jemison was also the first astronaut given the title of science mission specialist meaning she would carry out a variety of life science and materials science experiments on board The crew's mission was called Spacelab with the J indicating the mission's major sponsor Japan's National Space Development Agency NASDA The laboratory portion of the shuttle was 23 feet 7 m long and it contained the scientific equipment and computers needed to conduct 44 different experiments Jemison Mission Patch would run experiments that were expected to yield significant findings in medicine and technology CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF After breakfast the seven Each NASA mission has its own unique patch The crew members of STS 47 designed theirs to depict the space shuttle with the laboratory module Spacelab J in its cargo bay In the background are the flags of the United States and Japan the two countries that made the mission possible The land masses of Japan and Alaska are shown representing the two nations The initials SLJ on the left side stand for the mission's full name Spacelab Japan Japanese characters on the right side spell the word for weightlessness The crew's last names border the patch astronauts suited up in their orange pressurized suits Jemison checked her communication headset to ensure a comfortable fit under her helmet NASA technicians in turn scrutinized the crew's suits for any last minute malfunctions and then deemed them safe for travel Jemison walked alongside Mohri as they
8 exited the Operations and Checkout Building They were taken by bus to the launching pad smiling and waving to onlookers along the way Once they entered the Endeavour the astronauts went to their assigned locations and Jemison strapped herself into her seat on the mid deck of the shuttle US Vice President Dan Quayle was present for the launch and he sent a message of encouragement to the crew just before takeoff He asked Captain Gibson to greet Jemison and tell her that students in Detroit Michigan at Jemison Academy which had recently been named in her honor were watching the launch on television Suiting Up The orange launch entry suit Jemison and the other astronauts wore during launch and reentry was expertly designed but hardly comfortable It weighed 30 pounds 13 6 kg and could take up to 30 minutes to put on Nevertheless it had features Jemison and the other astronauts needed to keep them safe in an emergency Made from several layers of breathable material the suit had tubes of water running through it to regulate the astronauts temperature The orange outer layer which was fireproof covered an inner layer that could be inflated to maintain the correct air pressure in the event of an emergency A backup oxygen supply that could last ten minutes was available if needed The helmet consisted of a hard shell with a face plate that was lowered and sealed during launch and landing During launch preparations parachute and survival gear weighing 64 pounds 29 kg was strapped onto the astronauts once they were seated During the space shuttle program launch entry suits were orange so they would be visible should search and rescue be necessary
