NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS—The Right Honorable Philip E. Davis (PLP), Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, extended congratulatory remarks to Bahamian aerospace space engineer and entrepreneur, Aisha Bowe who became the first Bahamian to travel into space today, April 14, 2025, on Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. The New Shepard is Blue Origin’s fully reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight.
“She carries with her the dream of a nation as well as the legacy of the many trailblazing women who paved the way… This moment transcends borders,” said Prime Minister Davis on Bowe becoming the first Bahamian to travel to space. “Aisha’s journey is a testament to power of perseverance, the pursuit of excellence, and the boundless possibilities of a vision made real. On behalf of the government and people of The Bahamas, we salute you, Aisha; may your voyage ignite inspiration for generations to come. Aisha, from our islands to the stars, The Bahamas is with you!”
Bowe joins six other Black women in history to have ever traveled into space. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman in space, flying on the United States Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-47 mission in 1992. Other Black women who traveled to space were:
- Stephanie Wilson: Flew on three Space Shuttle missions: STS-121 (2006), STS-120 (2007), and STS-131 (2010), serving as a mission specialist. She has logged over 42 days in space and is part of NASA’s Artemis program.
- Joan Higginbotham: Flew on Space Shuttle Discovery for mission STS-116 from December 9–22, 2006, as a mission specialist, contributing to International Space Station assembly.
- Sian Proctor: First Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, flew as part of the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon from September 15–18, 2021.
- Jessica Watkins: First Black woman to serve on a long-duration mission at the International Space Station, flew with SpaceX Crew-4 from April 27–October 14, 2022, conducting experiments and geological observations.
- Jeanette Epps: Flew to the International Space Station on SpaceX Crew-8, launching on March 3, 2024, for a six-month mission, serving as a flight engineer and conducting scientific research.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket launched from Launch Site One in Van Horn, Texas. at approximately 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. The flight lasted about 11 minutes, and the capsule landed safely a few minutes later, also in the West Texas desert. Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos welcomed each crew member to earth as they exited the reuseable space capsule.
Joining Bowe on Monday’s historic all-woman flight team traveling to space were Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez. The first woman who traveled to space was Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on June 16, 1963, aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6.
Bowe is a former NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and global STEM advocate. She is the CEO of STEMBoard, an engineering firm twice named to the Inc. 5000 list, and founder of LINGO, an edtech company aiming to equip one million students with essential tech skills. Her path—from community college to space—reflects a deep commitment to expanding access to STEM education and empowering the future generations to dream big.
The Bahamas, an archipelago of 700 islands and cays, is quickly becoming integral to the world’s space tourism sector. On February 18, 2025, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster successfully landed on an autonomous droneship off the coast of The Exumas in The Bahamas, becoming the first international destination to welcome a SpaceX rocket landing. The Cabinet of The Bahamas has approved nineteen more landings throughout 2025
Bowe worked with SpaceX to help establish space protocols in The Bahamas, advancing the nation’s travel space innovation.
The Bahamas and SpaceX are working together to enhance local STEM-related education to help inspire the next generation of Bahamian students. SpaceX will also give a $1 million donation to the University of The Bahamas toward STEM education.
The Bahamas is a global center for offshore finance, tourism, and has one of the world’s largest open-registry shipping fleets. The former British colony with a population of just over 400,000 people, enjoys one of the Western hemisphere’s highest per capita incomes and boasts both a stable government and healthy economy.
The Head of state of The Bahamas is King Charles III, represented by a governor-general Dame Cynthia A. Pratt. The Prime Minister of The Bahamas is Right Honorable Philip E. Davis. Sir Lynden O. Pindling was the first prime minster of an independent Bahamas, which gained independence from The United Kingdom on July 10, 1973.
San Salvador in The Bahamas is where Chritopher Columbus first made landfall in what was to Europeans a “New World” on October 12, 1492.
Author: Mario Lotmore
