What it felt like to be the first Native American to walk in space
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Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, more than 700 people have flown in space, according to whoisinspace.com. Of those, 250 people have walked in space.
In 2002, John Herrington became the first Native American to walk in space as part of a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. The 67-year-old retired astronaut with ties to Idaho recently spoke to locals at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center. We caught up with him for this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning.”
In the episode, Rett Nelson speaks with Herrington about his Native American heritage and his thoughts on representing his people on his historic mission.
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Before Herrington was an astronaut, he was a young boy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His dad was a pilot, and Herrington started flying airplanes at a young age as a result. He recalls seeing Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and how that inspired him to pursue that path.
After graduating from high school in Plano, Texas, he enlisted in the Navy. During his time at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, he saw plaques of former students in the hallway, several of whom later became astronauts. Herrington shares who they were and how it instilled in him a greater desire to pursue that path.
He talks about standout missions during his 13-year Navy career and his application to NASA, including a question he was asked during his final evaluation and the answer he gave that he thought was stupid, but ultimately got him the job.
Then, we talk about his historic mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. Herrington discusses the mission’s purpose and shares how he felt when he experienced the immense blackness of space.
After the mission, he eventually wound up in Idaho. He talks about how he got to the Gem State and his connections to the region.
We end the conversation discussing the U.S. return to space through Artemis II and the unique differences among the crew that show humanity what is possible when we work together.
Rett Nelson has a surprise monologue at the end about the parallels between two historic space missions and the state of the world at the time.
If you’re a NASA nut or have ever dreamed of going to space, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.