Sally Ride became the first U.S. woman to fly in space in 1983. But the story of women astronauts began decades earlier.
For Women’s History Month, we’re exploring the history of women in the U.S. astronaut corps, starting with a look at the 13 women who trained alongside NASA’s original Mercury 7 in the 1960s. While they never went to space, they paved the way for future female astronauts. Author Rebecca Siegel joins the show to discuss her book To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts.
Then, as NASA focused on science in the late 1970s, it made room for women to join the astronaut corps. We'll speak with Amy Foster, UCF professor of history and author of Integrating Women into the Astronaut Corps about the inclusion of women during the Space Shuttle program.
