She held this position until the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011. Her team assisted the astronaut crews in donning/doffing the suit, testing the equipment, strapping the astronauts into the space shuttle before launch, and recovering the crew upon landing. In this position, she managed the team of 25+ employees responsible for processing the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) and related equipment worn by the astronaut crews aboard the space shuttle. In 2004 McDougle became the first female and first African American promoted to the position of Manager of the CEE Processing department. As Crew Chief McDougle had the honor of leading the first and only all-female suit tech crew supporting space shuttle mission STS-78. She traveled to Kennedy Space Center quite often where she worked in support of many space shuttle launches. In 1998, United Space Alliance (USA) absorbed the Boeing Aerospace Operations contract and McDougle continued in her position as a CEE Crew Chief employed by USA. She was responsible for leading her team and ensuring the astronaut crews were provided with outstanding support during suited astronaut training, launch, and landing events. In her new position she was responsible for leading a team of technicians to suit up astronaut crews. In 1994 McDougle was promoted to the position of Crew Chief making her the first female and first African American Crew Chief in CEE. McDougle was one of only two women CEE Suit Technicians and the only African American technician when she began her career. She was assigned to her first mission STS-37 within a year. She began her career as a CEE Suit Technician and was responsible for processing the orange launch and entry suit (LES) assemblies worn by all NASA space shuttle astronauts. McDougle joined the NASA family through Boeing Aerospace Operations in 1990 where she worked as a Flight Equipment Processing Contract team member in the Space Shuttle Crew Escape Equipment (CEE) department. McDougle worked closely with her during her training leading up to launch, as well as the actual launch day and landing of the space shuttle – taking care of all of her assigned crew escape equipment – her suit, helmet, writing utensils, even her diaper. McDougle was Jemison’s suit tech for the historic mission STS-47 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor September 12, 1992. Mae Jemison was the first African American woman to travel into space – but many don’t know that an African American woman from Moss Point, MS “suited her up” and has several firsts of her own. Sharon Caples McDougle is somewhat of a “hidden figure.” Everyone knows that Dr.
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