Evening Sessions: Fly Me to the Moon? The Legacy of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees

Evening Sessions- Fly Me to the Moon? The Legacy of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees

In 1961, doctor William Randall Lovelace II invited the nation’s best female airplane pilots to his medical facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he subjected them to physical exams unlike any they had ever experienced before. The tests were intense, both physically and psychologically, and were designed to determine if these women had “the right stuff” to fly in space. Lovelace had just administered these tests to a select group of men, of whom seven were destined to be forever known as “the Mercury 7”. Might these women also pass the tests? And if so, would they fly in space, too? Now commonly known as “the Mercury 13”, this class of First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLATs) included twins, a senator's wife, a few mothers, and a woman who would eventually (60 years later) realize her dream – and theirs – of becoming an astronaut. Whether they knew it or not, these 13 women paved the way for future women space explorers, including the first who will soon set foot on the Moon.

Dr. Nicolle Zellner is a professor of physics at Albion College in Albion, MI, where she teaches introductory and advanced astronomy and physics courses and has mentored dozens of student research partners. She has also served as a NASA Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. 

How to Attend

Join us on Zoom for this virtual program!  

It will also be live streamed in the Kantzler Community Room at the Alice & Jack Wirt Library for anyone to drop in to view.