kb/data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_at_NASA-2.md

title	chunk	source	category	tags	date_saved	instance
Women at NASA	3/5	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_at_NASA	reference	science, encyclopedia	2026-05-05T04:39:28.729277+00:00	kb-cron

The Women in Space Program (launched December 20, 1959) was a revived version of the Women in Space Earliest program that had been cancelled in November 1959. Like the program for men, this required candidate testing. However, the testing parameters were modified to accommodate women. In the screening phase, men were required to be degree-holding jet pilots who had attended military test pilot school and had a minimum of 1,500 hours of flying time. Since women were excluded from these opportunities, the screening criteria shifted to women with commercial pilot licenses, particularly those who served as flight instructors. Cobb, who underwent testing first, became the leader of the FLATs (Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees) along with 12 other women, totaling 13 women (hence the media designation "Mercury 13"). Although Cobb was assigned as a NASA consultant and continued the testing process, women were still not trained as astronauts. During the examinations, some scientists believed that women demonstrated advantages over men for space missions. For example, women's internal organs were thought to be better suited to withstand radiation and vibrations. Due to women's generally smaller size, spacecraft and flights would be less expensive if women were used as astronauts. However, testing for women was cancelled after it was discovered that NASA had not issued an official request for such testing. Lovelace decided to discontinue the program, which created an uncomfortable situation at NASA. Meanwhile, Jerrie Cobb, who had assumed leadership and facilitated the testing for women, was removed from her position at NASA.

== Events and accomplishments == Since Sally Ride became the first American woman astronaut, 43 American women had traveled to space by 2012, compared to only 12 women from other countries, with women comprising approximately 10 percent of NASA's astronaut corps as of 2009.

1922, Pearl I. Young hired as NACA's first female professional employee. 1950s–1960s, "human computers" at Langley advanced into engineering and programming, including Dorothy Vaughan, Mary W. Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden. 1959, Brigadier General Don Flickinger, a member of the NASA Special Advisory Committee on Life Sciences, along with Dr. W. Randolph "Randy" Lovelace II, inaugurated the Woman in Space Earliest (WISE) program 1960, Dr. Nancy Grace Roman became the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA 1961, Jerrie Cobb was appointed as a NASA administration consultant 1961, John F. Kennedy stated in the American Girl magazine that both sexes are needed in America's space program 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be in space 1978, NASA selected its first six female astronaut candidates: Anna Fisher, Shannon W. Lucid, Judith A. Resnik, Sally K. Ride, Margaret R. Seddon, and Kathryn D. Sullivan. 1983, Sally Ride flew as the first American woman in space. 1984, Kathryn D. Sullivan performed the first American spacewalk by a woman. 1986, Judith A. Resnik and payload specialist, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, died in the Challenger accident. 1992, Mae Jemison became first black woman in space 1993: Ellen Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman in space 1994: Carolyn Huntoon became the first woman center director at NASA (at Johnson Space Center) 1996, Shannon Lucid became the first woman to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor 1999, Eileen Collins commanded STS‑93, the first Shuttle mission led by a woman. 2005, Shana Dale became the first woman Deputy Administrator of NASA 2007, Peggy Whitson became the first woman to command the International Space Station and later in 2017 the first to command it twice. She also served as the first female, non‑military Chief of the Astronaut Office. 2018, Holly Ridings became NASA's first female Chief Flight Director. 2019, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir completed the first all‑woman spacewalk. 2020, NASA renamed its headquarters for Mary W. Jackson and held a public naming ceremony. 2021, MiMi Aung led the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team to the first powered flight on another world. During Mars 2020 entry, descent, and landing, Swati Mohan served as guidance, navigation, and control operations lead. 2023, Christina Koch was assigned as a mission specialist for Artemis II, the first crewed lunar flyby of the program.

== Women at NASA ==