Misogyny, in SPACE

September 13, 2023 6:19 PM

CNN article on the upcoming book, The Six: The Untold Stories of America’s First Women Astronauts Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, but she was not the only woman trained for that mission.

In anticipation of a book on this subject, CNN has an article offering a preview of the book chronicling the way the press responded to the possibility that a woman would go to space, and if she was leaving a husband behind or still single.

posted by I paid money to offer this... insight? (9 comments total)

See also The Mercury 13 (2004) by Martha Ackmann and/or Promised the Moon: The Untold Story of the First Women in the Space Race (2004) by Stephanie Nolen.
posted by user92371 at 6:34 PM on September 13, 2023 [5 favorites]

This looks great - the more I read about women in the space program, the more fascinated I get. There are even studies suggesting that women, particularly gymnasts, may be better suited for space travel than men.

Meanwhile control-F 100 Tampons ?
posted by Mchelly at 7:14 PM on September 13, 2023 [7 favorites]

For some reason, I read your post title in the same tune as the old Sesame Street skit “Pigs In Space!” and the more I think about it the more I realize that would’ve been a good title too for the history of the space program and the challenges women continue to face.
posted by mystyk at 3:12 AM on September 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

For an excellent science fictional take, may I recommend Mary Robinette Kowal's The Calculating Stars?
posted by doctornemo at 6:01 AM on September 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

I have a postcard of them I found at the Air and Space Museum in the early 1980s. It's probably in the book but not in TFA: image
posted by Rash at 7:06 AM on September 14, 2023

Minor correction. Pigs in Spaaaaace was The Muppet Show.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:26 AM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have met Dr. Fisher, not once but twice, and was one of several reasons she came to speak at my college. She signed my lab notebook with a Fisher Space Pen (no relation - I asked) and is generally a very lovely, very steely person.
posted by ngaiotonga at 3:37 PM on September 14, 2023

My gaydar is off the charts from the photo of the six at the top of the article.
posted by matildaben at 10:35 PM on September 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

There are even studies suggesting that women, particularly gymnasts, may be better suited for space travel than men.

The original Mercury astronauts had to be less than 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and space inside the capsule was so tight the seats were molded to their backs and butts.

Since women are generally smaller and lighter than men, seems like that would've been an argument for picking them.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:27 AM on September 15, 2023