In November 2024, the 100th woman in recorded history went to space. This year, female journalist Gayle King and renowned singer Katy Perry along with several other unstoppable women are set to launch in a new rocket. It is becoming clear that a larger number of women have desires to reach for the stars and land on the moon, but this is more than just a bragging right to your friends.
The increased rates of women going to space not only shows a level of bravery and courage that continues to persist in this gender and time period, but it also keys into how our country is expanding its horizons in terms of gender norms and occupation roles.
Before diving into modern day astronautics, let’s hold space for the past centuries of exploration and how we made it thus far.
Let’s Run It Back: The Timeline
In October 1957, the Soviet Union launched its first satellite into space, famously known as Sputnik 1. A Russian Lieutenant became the first human to go to space in 1961.
In January 1958, the United States launched Explorer 1 into space.
In 1962, a young woman named Linda Halpern sent a letter to former president John F. Kennedy for a school project, with the intent to know how she could go to space. With high hopes and even bigger dreams, she waited for a response but was disappointed when she read through the return letter sent by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) crushed Halpern’s pursuits in the same year, claiming that they had no current plans to launch women into space due to the lack of physical characteristics and degree level necessary, and the lack of it.
In the years following, more women became skeptical of NASA’s remarks, and wanted to challenge the men holding up barriers against the idea of expanding the industry beyond gender. Scientists grew increasingly aware that women were well suited for space, and may even be better equipped for this strenuous and compromising travel compared to males.
There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration and balanced during space missions. For example, the weight of a human being has to be a specific amount, if not less, as more weight = larger amount of rocket fuel.
It is a fact that women naturally weigh less than men, meaning that the “physical characteristics” NASA was worried about in 1962, would actually be in favor of women.
In 1978, after nearly two decades of challenge and advocacy, women finally became a part of the U.S. astronaut corps, with Sally K. Ride becoming the first American woman to go to space.
And the rest is history.
Blue Origin and Increased Space Tourism
Blue Origin is an aerospace engineering company that allows human beings to go to space with the airline.
On Nov. 22, 2024, Emily Calandrelli went to space on the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket with a crew on the NS28 mission. She became the 100th woman to go to space. Calandrelli unpacked her flight experience on her YouTube channel. Following her return, she went on multiple talk shows to express her gratitude and appreciation as a woman in the engineering industry.
Last month, Blue Origin announced the New Shepard rocket’s 31st mission. The mission will include some names that may ring a bell. World-renowned singer Katy Perry along with Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Lauren Sanchez, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn will be taking to flight in Spring of this year.
Not only is this female crew a variation of celebrities, journalists, and engineers, but it will also be the first all female crew to ever go to space.
Breaking Barriers—Or Flying Over Them
The increase in space tourism has enabled over 100 women to fulfill their lifelong goal of going to space. These women aren’t just accomplishing great things for themselves but are simultaneously paving the way for young women who want to land on the moon as soon as they can.
It is time for gender roles and underrepresentation to leave the overhead compartments. We must continue this trend in order for our country to move towards more representation and diversity on these missions.
What are your thoughts on breaking norms? Key us in @HerCampusSJSU!Read more about how groundbreaking women are here.