Astronaut Jessica Watkins is a NASA astronaut and geologist. She was selected as a member of the NASA Astronaut Group 22 in 2017. Before joining NASA, she earned her Ph.D. in geology from UCLA and worked on various research projects, including studying the geology of Mars. In 2022, Watkins made history as the first African American woman to serve on the International Space Station (ISS) for an extended mission. Her work on the ISS involves conducting scientific research and experiments that contribute to our understanding of space and Earth sciences.