Overview

In 1903, the historic flight of the Wright brothers ushered in a new era, not just in transportation, but also in lifestyle, adventure, and science. When American Bessica Raiche made a solo flight in 1910 using the aircraft she and husband François built, she opened the skies for future women aviators. By the time the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was chartered in the United States in July 1958, women were a fixture in aeronautical circles—not just in support roles, but as pioneers in astronomics, engineering, and mathematics. In 1963, when Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (1937- ) left Earth aboard the Vostok 6, she became the first woman in space, forever changing the destiny of women.

Background

Before the end of the nineteenth century, three women astronomers had made significant contributions to the science that would eventually lead mankind into space. The first, Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), discovered...