Jemison joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1987 and was selected to serve for the STS-47 mission, during which the Endeavour orbited the Earth for nearly eight days on September 12–20, 1992.

Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering as well as African and African-American studies.

Jemison also wrote several books for children and appeared on television several times, including in a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[7] The television show Star Trek and, in particular, African-American actress Nichelle Nichols' portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura further stoked her interest in space.

"[7] Jemison began studying ballet at the age of 8 or 9 and entered high school at 12 years old, where she joined the cheerleading team and the Modern Dance Club.

[16] After graduating from Chicago's Morgan Park High School in 1973,[12] Jemison entered Stanford University at the age of 16.

[24] Upon returning to the United States after serving in the Peace Corps, Jemison settled in Los Angeles, California.

Inspired by the flights of Sally Ride and Guion Bluford in 1983, Jemison applied to the astronaut program in October 1985.

[25] CBS featured Jemison as one of the country's "most eligible singles" on Best Catches, a television special hosted by Phylicia Rashad and Robb Weller in 1989.

Throughout the eight-day mission, she began communications on her shift with the salute "Hailing frequencies open", a quote from Star Trek.

[38][39] Aboard the Spacelab Japan module, Jemison tested NASA's Fluid Therapy System, a set of procedures and equipment to produce water for injection, developed by Sterimatics Corporation.

She then used IV bags and a mixing method, developed by Baxter Healthcare, to use the water from the previous step to produce saline solution in space.

[7] In 1993, she founded The Jemison Group Inc., a consulting firm which considers the sociocultural impact of technological advancements and design.

Founded in 1994,[45] camps have been held at Dartmouth College, Colorado School of Mines, Choate Rosemary Hall and other sites in the United States,[44] as well as internationally in South Africa, Tunisia, and Switzerland.

[46] The Dorothy Jemison Foundation also sponsors other events and programs, including the Shaping the World essay competition, Listening to the Future (a survey program that targets obtaining opinions from students), Earth Online (an online chatroom that allows students to safely communicate and discuss ideas on space and science), and the Reality Leads Fantasy Gala.

[27] In 1999, Jemison founded BioSentient Corp and obtained the license to commercialize AFTE, the technique she and Mohri tested on themselves during STS-47.

[55] Book Report found that the autobiography gave a realistic view into her interactions with her professors, whose treatment of her was not based on her intelligence but on stereotypes of woman of color.

[57] Each book in the series has a "Find the Truth" challenge, true or false questions answers to which are revealed at the end of the story.

[57] School Library Journal found the series to be "properly tantalizing surveys" of the Solar System but criticized the inclusion of a few outdated theories in physics and astronomy.

[58] LeVar Burton learned that Jemison was an avid Star Trek fan and asked her if she would be interested in being on the show.

Jemison uses her platform to speak out on the gap in the quality of health-care between the United States and the Third World, saying that "Martin Luther King [Jr.] ... didn't just have a dream, he got things done.

"[63] Jemison has also appeared as host and technical consultant of the science series World of Wonder which aired on the Discovery Channel from 1994 to 1998.

[70] Jemison participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a forum for promising girls in the Washington, D.C. public schools in March 2009.

[76] In 2017, LEGO released the "Women of NASA" set, with minifigures of Jemison, Margaret Hamilton, Sally Ride, and Nancy Grace Roman.

[81] In the process of arresting her, the officer twisted her wrist and forced her to the ground, as well as having her walk barefooted from the patrol car into the police station.