NASA
Planning the mission
Sylvia Stottlemyer, an Apollo crew secretary, reflects on the evolving roles of women at NASA over the years and the Apollo program's meaning in American history and culture. She recalls meeting Sally Ride, America's first female astronaut, and how it inspired her to pursue an advanced educational degree.
Human computers
“Hidden Figures” author Margot Lee Shetterly explains how she came to write the book, how women held many of the “human computer” jobs at NASA during the early space program and their enduring legacy.
Photo credits: NASA
NASA
Building NASA
Dawn Hoyle and Teresa Sullivan, who worked as NASA support staff members, explain how they came to form the group of Apollo-era women known as the “Sixties Chicks” and how it paved the way for other women who would work at NASA.
Apollo Missions
Frances “Poppy” Northcutt discusses being the first woman to work in NASA’s Mission Control, the harrowing Apollo 13 mission and how her experience in the space program shaped her later work as an attorney and women’s rights advocate.
Top photo credits: NASA
Space manuevers
Sheila Thibeault, an aerospace engineer, talks about how she helped the Apollo 11 astronauts get back home through her work on the rendezvous docking simulator.
Photo credits: NASA
NASA
First female astronauts
Carolyn Huntoon, the first woman to serve as director of the Johnson Space Center, was a member of NASA’s early medical program in charge of looking after the astronauts’ health. She discusses her role in the selection of the first female astronauts.
Credits: Additional video editing: J.R. Lizarraga, Archival researcher: Jackeline Luna, page production by Andrea Roberson