The equal rights stuff
Nasa's policy to include women and minorities in the Space Shuttle program
In 1976, Nasa launched a campaign to help recruit the next generation of Astronauts. It was fronted by African-American actress Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura, as part of an effort to ensure the astronaut corps represented the diversity of the United States.
When they were revealed to the press, the 35 members of the new astronaut group included six women, three African American men and one Asian American man. All were appointed on merit.
The selection of the first women caused quite a stir. As the ‘first mom in space’, Anna Fisher was asked by the press whether she was worried about her child (none of the fathers were asked). There were also jibes about separate restrooms and whether the women would ‘weep’ if something went wrong.
Meanwhile, Nasa’s engineers suggested developing a zero-g makeup kit and the first US woman in space, Sally Ride, was issued with a long string of tampons (joined together like sausages) for a six-day mission.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the first Shuttle launch in April 1981, astronaut Nicole Stott speaks to some of these pioneers and hears how Nasa has since aimed to become a beacon for diversity.
Contributors also include astronaut Charles Bolden, the first African American to head the space agency and – as Nasa prepares to land the first woman on the Moon – its new head of human spaceflight, Kathy Lueders.
(Image: Sally Ride. Credit: Nasa)
Producer: Richard Hollingham
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
Broadcasts
- Mon 12 Apr 2021 19:32GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service
- Tue 13 Apr 2021 04:32GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service Americas and the Caribbean, Australasia, South Asia & East Asia only
- Tue 13 Apr 2021 08:32GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service
- Tue 13 Apr 2021 12:32GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service except East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia & West and Central Africa
- Mon 19 Apr 2021 00:32GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service except Americas and the Caribbean
Space
The eclipses, spacecraft and astronauts changing our view of the Universe
The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry
Podcast
-
Discovery
Explorations in the world of science.