Delta Sigma Theta’s Joan Higginbotham Is a NASA Astronaut Who Journeyed to Space Aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery

Did you know that one of the few Black women ever to travel to space was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.? Her name is Joan Higginbotham, and she rose from the launch pads of Kennedy Space Center to the stars aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Joan Elizabeth Higginbotham was born on August 3, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1987, and she later added two master’s degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology, one in management and one in space systems. As her official NASAbiography notes, she is a soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which was founded in 1913 at Howard University.

Higginbotham’s career at NASA began in 1987, when she joined Kennedy Space Center in Florida as a payload electrical engineer, working on space shuttle launches. Her talent and dedication earned her a place in NASA’s astronaut corps when she was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996.

A decade of training led to her moment among the stars. In December 2006, Higginbotham flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-116, a flight to the International Space Station. As NASA records, her primary job was operating the station’s robotic arm, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System. Over the twelve-day mission, she logged more than 308 hours in space, joining the rare company of people who have flown beyond Earth.

After retiring from NASA in 2007, Higginbotham carried her engineering expertise into the corporate world, taking on leadership roles in the energy industry. As the St. Louis American reported, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has celebrated her achievements as one of its own.

From the classrooms where she studied electrical engineering to the flight deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery, Delta Sigma Theta’s Joan Higginbotham reached heights that few people ever will.

We at Watch The Yard would like to commend Joan Higginbotham for making history among the stars.

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