Joan Higginbotham is a former NASA astronaut, a real-life rocket scientist, and a trailblazing electrical engineer, who in December 2006, flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery to become the third African American woman to travel into space. Higginbotham actively participated in fifty-three space shuttle launches as an aerospace technologist before being selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1996 and retiring in November 2007. Higginbotham has been honored by President George W. Bush at the 81st White House Black History Month Celebration, is the recipient of the National Space Medal, the Adler Planetarium Women in Space Award, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Higginbotham was also named one of Essence Magazine's Top 50 Women, among numerous other accolades.