Mercury 13

Seven Members of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees in 1995 - GPN-2002-000196

Mercury 13 refers to a group of thirteen American women who underwent the same physiological screening tests as the male astronauts selected by NASA for Project Mercury in the early 1960s. These women were part of a privately funded program, and although they were not officially part of NASA's astronaut program, their testing was intended to demonstrate that women could also qualify for space travel.

Background

The Mercury 13 program was initiated by Dr. William Randolph Lovelace II, who was the chairman of NASA's Special Advisory Committee on Life Science. Lovelace had previously developed the physical and psychological tests used to select the male astronauts for Project Mercury. He was interested in determining whether women could also pass these rigorous tests.

Selection and Testing

The women selected for the Mercury 13 program were all accomplished pilots, many of whom had logged thousands of flight hours. The testing took place at the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The tests included a series of physical and psychological evaluations, similar to those administered to the male astronauts.

Participants

The thirteen women who passed the tests were:

• Jerrie Cobb
• Myrtle Cagle
• Janet Dietrich
• Marion Dietrich
• Wally Funk
• Sarah Gorelick
• Jane Hart
• Jean Hixson
• Rhea Hurrle
• Gene Nora Stumbough
• Irene Leverton
• Jerri Sloan
• Bernice Steadman

Outcome and Legacy

Despite their success in the testing, the Mercury 13 women were not given the opportunity to become astronauts. NASA's requirements at the time stipulated that astronauts must be military test pilots, a role that was not available to women. The program was eventually discontinued, and the women returned to their previous careers.

The story of the Mercury 13 gained renewed attention in later years, particularly as the role of women in space exploration expanded. In 1999, the surviving members of the Mercury 13 were honored at the Women in Aviation International conference. Their contributions are seen as a significant step towards gender equality in the field of space exploration.

See Also

• Project Mercury
• NASA
• Women in space
• Sally Ride
• Valentina Tereshkova