Jessica Andrea Watkins, born May 14, 1988, is an American NASA astronaut, geologist, aquanaut and former international rugby player.
She was named the first Black woman who completed an International Space Station long-term mission in April 2022. On June 9, 2022, at 7:38 UTC, she became the African American woman with the most time in space, surpassing Stephanie Wilson’s 42-day, 23-hour and 46-minute record.
NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins parents: Meet Michael and Carolyn Watkins
Michael and Carolyn Watkins are the parents of Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to spend six months at the International Space Station (ISS).
The couple resides in Lafayette, Colorado. During an interview with WESH 2, Watkins’ parents recalled their daughter “manifesting this exact moment when she was a little girl.” The couple says Watkins “was always active and even did rocket launches for science experiments as a child.”
Michael Watkins is a retired U.S. Army colonel who served as a NASA astronaut from 2000 to 2007. He flew on two space shuttle missions, STS-120 and STS-133. Carolyn Watkins is a retired teacher who worked in the Lafayette school district for over 20 years.
