1) Briefly summarize the history of the US space program (starting in the late 1950s). Identify key points at which women were considered for inclusion in the astronaut program and were they were actually included. Also identify other roles women played in the space program.
The United States space program actually began in Russia, with the launch Sputnik during the height of the Cold War. The idea of the USSR being close to launching nukes and people into orbit around Earth shocked the nation into the Space Race.
Scientists, headed by Dr. Randy Lovelace, began trying to find the best candidates to go to space based on what they thought the conditions might be. Dr. Lovelace tested pilots in the military, but at that time, they were only men, so he had to search elsewhere for female candidates. Overall, he tested 19 women, 13 of which passed his tests, which was a far better average than the male candidates. The argument for having women astronauts was strong: compared to men, women tend to weigh less, eat less, and use less oxygen, all of which would mean needing less fuel, which in and of itself would mean needing less fuel. However, …show more content…
The problem with this was that women weren’t allowed to be jet engine pilots in the United States military, which means they couldn’t do anything to even make themselves potentially eligible; two women (Jerry Cobb and Janie Hart) petitioned Congress to change this rule and implement an equivalent requirement that women were physically capable of meeting so that they may be considered for the position. However, their attempts were to no avail; that is, until the feminist movement took off. Because of political pressure and fear of lawsuits, NASA finally reached out to hire women as astronauts and issued their first call for astronauts in a decade, urging both women and people of color to
The United States space program actually began in Russia, with the launch Sputnik during the height of the Cold War. The idea of the USSR being close to launching nukes and people into orbit around Earth shocked the nation into the Space Race.
Scientists, headed by Dr. Randy Lovelace, began trying to find the best candidates to go to space based on what they thought the conditions might be. Dr. Lovelace tested pilots in the military, but at that time, they were only men, so he had to search elsewhere for female candidates. Overall, he tested 19 women, 13 of which passed his tests, which was a far better average than the male candidates. The argument for having women astronauts was strong: compared to men, women tend to weigh less, eat less, and use less oxygen, all of which would mean needing less fuel, which in and of itself would mean needing less fuel. However, …show more content…
The problem with this was that women weren’t allowed to be jet engine pilots in the United States military, which means they couldn’t do anything to even make themselves potentially eligible; two women (Jerry Cobb and Janie Hart) petitioned Congress to change this rule and implement an equivalent requirement that women were physically capable of meeting so that they may be considered for the position. However, their attempts were to no avail; that is, until the feminist movement took off. Because of political pressure and fear of lawsuits, NASA finally reached out to hire women as astronauts and issued their first call for astronauts in a decade, urging both women and people of color to