What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape any checklist would include these. But when America created
NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken rule: you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen
women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the
Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules.
Almost Astronauts is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age.
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Background Information
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established by Congress in 1958 to guide American research in space. Women have played important roles in American history from the earliest days, although they have not always been adequately recognized. The Mercury space program resulted in the first Americans to venture into outer space.
