The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream

The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight

For readers ofÂ The Astronaut Wives Club, The Mercury 13Â reveals the little-known true story of the remarkable women whoÂ trained for NASAÂ space flight.

In 1961, just as NASA launched its first man into space, a group of women underwent secret testing in the hopes of becoming Americaâ€™s first female astronauts. They passed the same battery of tests at the legendary Lovelace Foundation as did the Mercury 7 astronauts, but they were summarily dismissed by the boysâ€™ club at NASA and on Capitol Hill. The USSR sent its first woman into space in 1963; the United States did not follow suit for another twenty years.

For the first time, Martha Ackmann tells the story of the dramatic events surrounding these thirteen remarkable women, all crackerjack pilots and patriots who sometimes sacrificed jobs and marriages for a chance to participate in Americaâ€™s space race against the Soviet Union. In addition to talking extensively to these women, Ackmann interviewed Chuck Yeager, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, and others at NASA and in the White House with firsthand knowledge of the program, and includes here never-before-seen photographs of the Mercury 13 passing their Lovelace tests.

Despite the crushing disappointment of watching their dreams being derailed, the Mercury 13 went on to extraordinary achievement in their lives: Jerrie Cobb, who began flying when she was so small she had to sit on pillows to see out of the cockpit, dedicated her life to flying solo missions to the Amazon rain forest; Wally Funk, who talked her way into the Lovelace trials, went on to become one of the first female FAA investigators; Janey Hart, mother of eight and, at age forty, the oldest astronaut candidate, had the political savvy to steer the women through congressional hearings and later helped found the National Organization for Women.

A provocative tribute to these extraordinary women, The Mercury 13 is an unforgettable story of determination, resilience, and inextinguishable hope.

From the Hardcover edition.
Country USA
Brand Random House Trade Paperbacks
Manufacturer Random House Publishing Group
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber Illustrated
Color Multicolor
ReleaseDate 2004-07-13
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780375758935

Country	USA
Brand	Random House Trade Paperbacks
Manufacturer	Random House Publishing Group
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	Illustrated
Color	Multicolor
ReleaseDate	2004-07-13
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780375758935

The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight

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