NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins made history as the first Black woman to embark on an extended mission with the International Space Station, USA Today reports.

On Wednesday, Watkins, 33, and her crew members Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Samantha Cristoforetti shot into space from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, at 3:52 a.m. EDT. All four astronauts were boarded on the SpaceX Dragon, where they will live and work for six months, PopSugar reports.

As Blavity previously reported, space expedition will be Watkins’ first since being selected as an astronaut in 2017.

Watkins is the fifth Black woman to go to space and follows the footsteps of Mae Jemison, Stephanie Wilson, Joan Higginbotham and Sian Proctor, the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, according to PopSugar. 

“I think it really is just a tribute to the legacy of the Black women astronauts that have come before me, as well as to the exciting future ahead,” Watkins told NPR

She said she believes that her presence on this mission breaks barriers and moves the needle toward inclusion in the field. 

“We have reached this milestone, this point in time, and the reason we’re able to arrive at this time is because of the legacy of those who have come before to allow for this moment,” Watkins said during an interview with NBC in January. “Also, recognizing this is a step in the direction of a very exciting future. So to be a part of that is certainly an honor.”

She also discussed how the representation of people of color and women in STEM fields played a significant role in helping her pursue her chosen career. 

“For me, growing up and throughout my career, it’s been really important for me to see people who look like me or have my background or similar experiences in the roles that I aspire to,” she said, according to PopSugar. “To the extent that I’m able to do that for others, for other young girls or other young people of color, I’m grateful for the opportunity to return the favor.”

NASA announced in 2021 that the agency also selected Watkins for the Artemis program, which seeks to return astronauts to the moon no later than the year 2025, USA Today reports. 

In a 2020 video released by NASA, Watkins communicated that being a part of the Artemis Team is a result of her years of hard work. 

“A dream feels like a big, faraway goal that’s going to be difficult to achieve or something you might achieve much later in life,” she said. “But in reality, what a dream realized is is just one putting one foot in front of the other on a daily basis. If you put enough of those footprints together, eventually they become a path toward your dreams.”