9 Remarkable “Firsts” for Women in Space
Over just three years, between 1969 to 1971, twelve people walked on the surface of the moon, and they all had something in common. They were all men. At the time, some didn’t believe women had the necessary skills for space exploration. In fact, NASA didn’t admit its first female astronaut until 1978. Fast forward a half century, and over 75 women have floated weightlessly above our beautiful blue planet and ventured into the vastness of space. Many of them broke barriers and set records as the first to accomplish a major milestone.
Humanity is about to take the next giant leap for womankind in space, when the first woman will walk on the moon in September 2026. As we approach this extraordinary milestone, Moonrocket celebrates the women who achieved notable “firsts” in space.
First woman in space
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, a Soviet Cosmonaut, became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. Born in Masslenikovo (now Russia) in 1937, her passion for parachuting led her to volunteer for the cosmonaut team after Gherman Titov’s 1961 flight. After undergoing intensive training like her male counterparts, Tereshkova was chosen for the Vostok 6 flight. She operated her spacecraft manually for nearly 71 hours, orbiting the earth 45 times. Following her historic flight, she made global appearances and furthered her education in air force engineering and technical science. Although the Soviet Union, now Russia, launched the first woman into orbit, they’ve only had a total of six female astronauts travel to space in over sixty years.
First woman in NASA’s Mission Control Center
On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts made history by becoming the first humans to walk on the Moon. However, groundbreaking achievements during the Apollo program weren’t limited to space. Frances “Poppy” Northcutt, born August 10, 1943, was the first woman in an operational support role at Houston’s Mission Control Center. Beginning her NASA career as a “computress” after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she quickly rose through the ranks. From crunching numbers for the Gemini program to playing a crucial role in trans-earth injection maneuvers for missions like Apollo 8, Apollo 11, and Apollo 13, Northcutt was a pioneer in her field. While she stood out as the only woman in her technical position, many women worked in non-technical roles at NASA, a testament to the evolving landscape of the space agency.
First female NASA astronaut
Sally Ride, born May 26, 1951, blasted off into space aboard the Challenger on June 18, 1983, becoming the first American woman in space and the youngest American to travel to space, at age 32. Beyond this historic flight, she led a multifaceted life: an athlete, physicist, science writer, and a pioneer in science education. Alongside her life partner, Dr. Tam O’Shaughnessy, and others, she founded Sally Ride Science in 2001 to promote STEM and science literacy. Ride passed away in 2012, but her legacy persists as she continues to serve as a source of inspiration for women and girls who dream of spaceflight.
First woman of color in space
Mae Carol Jemison, born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, was deeply influenced by the Apollo missions and the representation of African American actress Nichelle Nichols in the TV series, Star Trek. A prodigious student and advocate, she pursued studies in Chemical Engineering and African-American studies at Stanford, later earning a Doctorate in Medicine from Cornell. Facing racial challenges and inspired by Sally Ride, Jemison persisted to join NASA’s Astronaut Group 12, ultimately becoming the first African American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Endeavor in 1992. Dr. Jemison’s achievement was followed by the equally remarkable records set by Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space in 1993, and Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born American woman in space in 1997.
First woman to run a marathon in space
Sunita (Suni) Williams, born September 19, 1965, isn’t only the first woman to complete 26.2 miles on a treadmill in space, she’s the first person to do so. In 2007, she ran the equivalent of the Boston Marathon while in orbit aboard the International Space Station.
First all-female space walk
On October 18, 2019, astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first women to participate in an all-female spacewalk. Their mission, which lasted over seven hours, involved replacing a malfunctioning battery charge/discharge unit on the International Space Station’s exterior. Although NASA had intended to hold an all-female spacewalk earlier in March, it was postponed due to a lack of appropriately-sized spacesuits. This oversight garnered criticism, emphasizing the need for more inclusivity in space missions. Meir’s spacewalk marked her as the 15th woman to do so, with 43 spacewalks having included women since 1984.
First woman to travel on a commercial spacecraft
On November 16, 2020, NASA astronaut Shannon Walker made history by becoming the first woman to travel on a commercial crew vehicle. She embarked on this journey as part of NASA’s Crew-1 mission aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft.
First woman launch director at NASA
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson is the first female launch director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at the John F. Kennedy Space Center. Appointed in January 2016, she played a pivotal role in supervising the countdown and launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I flight test. Blackwell-Thompson is responsible for launch operations planning, coordination across three programs (SLS, Orion, and EGS), and overseeing launch countdown procedures, among other duties. After the successful launch of Artemis I, she partook in a NASA tradition for launch directors by cutting her necktie, a practice previously only observed by her male predecessors.
First woman to walk on the moon
This record remains to be set. NASA’s Artemis III mission plans to land a woman on lunar surface in late 2026. Nine female astronauts are currently training on the Artemis team, and one of them will be the first woman to walk on the moon!
Our spacefaring adventure doesn’t end with the scheduled 2026 moonwalk, and new generations of female astronauts will set many more “firsts” in space. The technology behind NASA’s Artemis moon missions is being designed and tested for deep space exploration that will take humanity far beyond the lunar surface. Who will be the first woman to see the Martian landscape up close? Just imagine: one day, we may even celebrate the first baby girl born in space. What will her life be like? What records will she set? Whatever the future holds for women and girls in space, Moonrocket will be there to mark the milestones!
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