Twilight News Edition 538
Edition 538, 12th September 2023
UNTOLD STORIES OF NASA’S FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE
By Fiona Jhaveri
As Sally Ride prepared to make history as the first American woman in space, it should have marked a moment of celebration for science. However, the occasion took an unexpected turn when a reporter posed a rather surprising question to Ride and her fellow crewmembers.
The reporter inquired, "During your training as a member of this group, when you encountered challenges or amusing glitches, how did you react on a personal level? Did you ever cry or experience emotional moments?" Ride responded diplomatically, pointing out that her male colleague had never been subjected to such a question.
This exchange occurred during a press conference just weeks before the 1983 space shuttle Challenger launch, and it is just one of the intriguing and cringe-inducing moments that author Loren Grush uncovers and elaborates on in her latest book, "The Six: The Untold Stories of America’s First Women Astronauts."
Grush, a space reporter for Bloomberg, explained that while many Americans are familiar with Sally Ride and her groundbreaking achievement, she began to wonder about the other women who trained alongside Ride in NASA's first mixed-gender astronaut class. These accomplished and formidable women had also aspired to be part of the historic shuttle mission.
In Grush's book, which was released on Tuesday, Sally Ride's selection for the groundbreaking space journey serves as a starting point for a more profound narrative about NASA's first female astronauts. The book delves into their experiences during their initial flights, the challenges they encountered in their roles, and the sexist inquiries they had to endure along the way.
Grush's objective is to share their stories in a manner that reflects how they should have been told at the time. She recently spoke with CNN about her book and why the narratives it explores continue to resonate even decades later.