The Six

During the Apollo era, when NASA was sending crews to the moon, the agency barred women from its astronaut corps. Its reasoning was that only military test pilots, a profession then drawn entirely from men, possessed the necessary qualities. Across the wider culture, young women were often pushed away from scientific careers and presumed incapable of flying in space.

NASA later admitted the policy was a mistake and reopened recruitment to a broader pool of candidates, without regard to race or sex. Around 8,000 people applied, and in 1978 the agency chose six women: Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.