A presentation about gender roles’ impact on the first women astronauts in America was held by Del Mar History Professor Erinn McComb, the author of “Gender and the Race for Space: Masculinity and the American Astronaut (1957-1983)”, her debut book published by Anthem Press.

In her Sept. 24 presentation in Wolfe Recital Hall, “What Made it Possible for Sally to Ride? The Integration of NASA’s Astronaut Corps,” McComb traversed through the extensive timeline of American space travel and how the first women astronauts fought their way through a male-dominated field, leading to Sally K. Ride being the first American woman astronaut to travel space in 1983.

McComb explained how Pres. Dwight Eisenhower created NASA with Congress in 1958, with the idea of shaping the narrative that the U.S. was leading in the space race.

“He said, ‘We’re going to send in jet test pilots’ … and that’s going to give this assumption that the Americans are controlling spaceflight technology, that we are somehow really flying those spacecrafts,” said McComb.

Despite being behind the Soviets in the rush to achieve spaceflight first, the American press argued that the U.S. was leading because “our spacemen can control his destiny in space” since they were pilots, an example of America’s individualistic and masculine culture guiding the media.

“In 1959, [Dr. Lovelace], who created the astronaut tests, trained 19 women to become astronauts. Thirteen of them passed … We know them in pop culture as the Mercury 13.”

However, when Dr. Lovelace contacted the Pensacola Naval Base to prepare the women for spaceflight, the commander refused under the assumption that women were less capable in jet training.

Later, Lyndon B. Johnson “secretly shut the program down altogether.”

“In 1962 … we are going to see Congress discuss whether or not sexism, discrimination based on sex, existed in the astronaut corps.”

As jet training was a requirement for astronauts, and the program was no longer available, “Jerrie Cobb is going to argue that, if the bachelor’s degree requirement has been waived for John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, why can [the jet test pilot requirement] not be waived for the women?” before a congressional subcommittee.

John Glenn then argued that women could not become astronauts as a part of America’s “social order.”

Many women including Jacqueline Cochran, a pioneer for women in aviation, agreed with Glenn’s argument, stating that marriage, pregnancy, menstruation, and PMS symptoms would negatively affect spaceflight and, therefore, women astronauts were a “waste of money.”

In 1963, the Soviet Union sent Valentina Tereshkova, a factory worker parachutist, into space: the first woman to achieve this.

“[They] did not send Tereshkova to demonstrate some kind of feminist equality in the Soviet Union at all,” McComb explained.

“They sent her up to demonstrate just how superior Soviet technology was because, after all, if a woman could go into space and survive … the technology was so safe that even a woman could use it.”

American women were enraged and the Soviet Union’s then-leader, Nikita Khrushchev, taunted the U.S. for their lack of equality.

Not until 1972 were women granted access to astronaut programs due to Title IX signed by Pres. Richard Nixon.

“How do you encourage people who have never seen someone like them as an astronaut to take the six months to fill out the application and to submit it? Well, NASA is going to hire four women … to take affirmative action.”

Grace Dell “Nichelle” Nichols, a popular actress and singer, was one of those women.

“She thought it was wasted money on some pet project, money that was better spent helping society. But when she first went to recruit women and minorities, the applications jumped from 2,000 to over 8,000 just from her alone.”

Finally, in 1978, NASA Astronaut Group 8 was formed, the first to include women and minorities, including Sally K. Ride who would become the first American woman in space in 1983.

The presentation concluded with a Q&A with attendees, in which McComb was asked how these women’s lives impacted her.

“I am not here at all if these women never existed. If these women never had the courage to do what they did, I certainly wouldn’t be here on this stage.”

Students left the book talk inspired and intrigued, despite most attending for other reasons.

“I came to the presentation, first of all, because I was told there’s extra credit,” said Ben Tobon, Del Mar student.

“Second of all, I found it more interesting the more it went on … I thought it was a cool topic, and I’m actually interested in the book.”

“Gender and the Race for Space” is a collection of past media, archived interviews, personal stories, and records from NASA to explore gender culture in post-World War II America.

It is available for purchase online from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as Del Mar’s White Library on Heritage Campus.

In 1963, the Soviet Union sent Valentina Tereshkova, a factory worker parachutist, into space: the first woman to achieve this.

“[They] did not send Tereshkova to demonstrate some kind of feminist equality in the Soviet Union at all,” McComb explained.

“They sent her up to demonstrate just how superior Soviet technology was because, after all, if a woman could go into space and survive … the technology was so safe that even a woman could use it.”

American women were enraged and the Soviet Union’s then-leader, Nikita Khrushchev, taunted the U.S. for their lack of equality.

Not until 1972 were women granted access to astronaut programs due to Title IX signed by Pres. Richard Nixon.

“How do you encourage people who have never seen someone like them as an astronaut to take the six months to fill out the application and to submit it? Well, NASA is going to hire four women … to take affirmative action.”

Grace Dell “Nichelle” Nichols, a popular actress and singer, was one of those women.

“She thought it was wasted money on some pet project, money that was better spent helping society. But when she first went to recruit women and minorities, the applications jumped from 2,000 to over 8,000 just from her alone.”

Finally, in 1978, NASA Astronaut Group 8 was formed, the first to include women and minorities, including Sally K. Ride who would become the first American woman in space in 1983.

The presentation concluded with a Q&A with attendees, in which McComb was asked how these women’s lives impacted her.

“I am not here at all if these women never existed. If these women never had the courage to do what they did, I certainly wouldn’t be here on this stage.”

Students left the book talk inspired and intrigued, despite most attending for other reasons.

“I came to the presentation, first of all, because I was told there’s extra credit,” said Ben Tobon, Del Mar student.

“Second of all, I found it more interesting the more it went on … I thought it was a cool topic, and I’m actually interested in the book.”

“Gender and the Race for Space” is a collection of past media, archived interviews, personal stories, and records from NASA to explore gender culture in post-World War II America.

It is available for purchase online from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as Del Mar’s White Library on Heritage Campus.