Woman Into Space

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In 1959, Jerrie Cobb, a blonde, blue-eyed aviator, became the first woman to undergo the Mercury Astronaut tests at the Lovelace Foundation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Driven by her lifelong dream to fly and explore the skies, she met NASA's criteria for space flight. Subjected to the same rigorous physical and psychological tests as the seven male astronauts of Project Mercury, her performance was deemed “extraordinary” by a NASA official. In her narrative, Jerrie recounts her remarkable journey as an international ferry pilot, detailing her near-death experiences while accumulating over 10,000 flying hours. She highlights her record-setting solo flights in speed, altitude, and distance, and her role as America’s leading female astronaut candidate and consultant to NASA on manned space flight. Her impressive flying record led to her invitation for astronaut testing, and since 1957, she had set numerous international records. Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace, II, chair of NASA’s Life Sciences Committee for Project Mercury, noted that Jerrie’s positive response to testing suggested that women could endure stress, pain, heat, cold, monotony, and loneliness longer and with fewer adverse effects than men.