Nicole Aunapu Mann was a standout member of the Navy women's soccer team from 1995 through 1998, serving as captain as a senior. She was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer and became a fighter pilot flying the F/A-18 Hornet. She attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and was subsequently selected as an astronaut candidate. In October, 2021, Mann was chosen to serve as commander of the SpaceX-Crew 5 mission to the International Space Station.