Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards))

have You Ever Heard Of The “mercury 13” Women? Did You Know That Nearly Twenty Years Before The First Women Were Let Into Nasa’s Astronaut Program, There Were Others Who Tried? what Are The Requirements For Being Shot Into Space, Piloting A Hunk Of Metal While Carrying The Hopes And Fears Of Your Nation? Mastery Of Flying, As Well As Courage, Intelligence, Resistance To Stress, And Fitness – Any Checklist Would Certainly Include These. But When America Created Nasa In 1958, There Was An Unspoken Rule In Place: Astronauts Must Be Male, And They Must Be White. here Is The Tale Of Thirteen Women Who Proved Not Only That They Were As Tough As Any Man But Also That They Were Brave Enough To Challenge The Government. Their Passage To Space Was Blocked By Prejudice, Jealousy, And A Note Scrawled By One Of The Most Powerful Men In Washington. But In The End, Their Inspiring Example Empowered Young Women To Take Their Rightful Place In The Sky, Piloting Jets And Commanding Space Capsules. Almost Astronauts Is The Story Of Thirteen True Pioneers Of The Space Age. publishers Weekly enlivened By Numerous B&w And Color Photographs, This Thorough Book Takes Readers Back To The Early 1960s To Tell The Story Of 13 Women Who Underwent A Battery Of Physical Endurance Tests (including Hours Spent In A Deprivation Tank) And Psychological Analysis To Determine Their Readiness To Travel In Space. A Gripping Narrative Surfaces In Stone's Text, As The Women Are Repeatedly Thwarted By Nasa, Discriminated Against And Patronized By Society (gene Nora Stumbough's Boss Said She Couldn't Have Time Off. So She Quit. Sarah Gorelick Had The Same Problem.... So she Quit). Readers With An Interest In History And In Women's Struggle For Equality Will Undoubtedly Be Moved. Ages 10-up. (feb.) copyright © Reed Business Information, A Division Of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. What Does It Take To Be An Astronaut? Excellence At Flying, Courage, Intelligence, Resistance To Stress, Top Physical Shape, Any Checklist Would Include These. But When America Created Nasa In 1958, There Was Another Unspoken Rule: You Had To Be A Man. Here Is The Tale Of Thirteen Women Who Proved That They Were Not Only As Tough As The Toughest Man But Also Brave Enough To Challenge The Government. They Were Blocked By Prejudice, Jealousy, And The Scrawled Note Of One Of The Most Powerful Men In Washington. But Even Though The Mercury 13 Women Did Not Make It Into Space, They Did Not Lose, For Their Example Empowered Young Women To Take Their Place In The Sky, Piloting Jets And Commanding Space Capsules. Almost Astronauts Is The Story Of Thirteen True Pioneers Of The Space Age. T Minus Thirty-eight Years -- I Jumped At The Offer -- Not A Meaningful Test -- Mommy's Going To The Moon! -- Too Good To Be True -- Regret To Advise... -- Let's Stop This Now! -- Jerrie Cobb Isn't Running This Program. I Am! -- The Men Go Off And Fight The Wars And Fly The Airplanes -- Nasa Never Had Any Intention Of Putting Those Women In Space -- We Want To See A Woman Driving The Bus, Not Sitting In The Back -- I Am Living Proof That Dreams Do Come True. Tanya Lee Stone ; [foreword By Margaret A. Weitekamp]. The True Story Of The Mercury 13 Women--cover. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 122-130) And Index. "Have you ever heard of the 'Mercury 13' women? Did you know that nearly twenty years before the first women were let into NASA's astronaut program, there were others who tried? What are the requirements for being shot into space, piloting a hunk of metal while carrying the hopes and fears of your nation? Mastery of flying, as well as courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, and fitness -- any checklist would certainly includes these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was an unspoken rule in place: astronauts must be male, and they must be white. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved not only that they were as tough as any man but also that they were brave enough to challenge the government. Their passage to space was blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and a note scrawled by one of the most powerful men in Washington. But in the end, their inspiring example empowered young women to take the rightful place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. Almost Astronauts is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age."--Jacket They Had The Right Stuff. They Defied The Prejudices Of The Time. And They Blazed A Trail For Generations Of Women To Follow. What Does It Take To Be An Astronaut? Excellence At Flying, Courage, Intelligence, Resistance To Stress, Top Physical Shape -- Any Checklist Would Include These. But When America Created Nasa In 1958, There Was Another Unspoken Rule: You Had To Be A Man. Here Is The Tale Of Thirteen Women Who Proved That They Were Not Only As Tough As The Toughest Man But Also Brave Enough To Challenge The Government. They Were Blocked By Prejudice, Jealousy, And The Scrawled Note Of One Of The Most Powerful Men In Washington. But Even Though The Mercury 13 Women Did Not Make It Into Space, They Did Not Lose, For Their Example Empowered Young Women To Take Their Place In The Sky, Piloting Jets And Commanding Space Capsules. Almost Astronauts Is The Story Of Thirteen True Pioneers Of The Space Age. Back Matter Includes An Author’s Note, An Appendix, Further Reading, A Bibliography, Sources, Source Notes, And An Index. Winner of the Robert F. Sibert Medal They had the right stuff. They defied the prejudices of the time. And they blazed a trail for generations of women to follow. What does it take to be an astronaut? Excellence at flying, courage, intelligence, resistance to stress, top physical shape -- any checklist would include these. But when America created NASA in 1958, there was another unspoken you had to be a man. Here is the tale of thirteen women who proved that they were not only as tough as the toughest man but also brave enough to challenge the government. They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and the scrawled note of one of the most powerful men in Washington. But even though the Mercury 13 women did not make it into space, they did not lose, for their example empowered young women to take their place in the sky, piloting jets and commanding space capsules. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS is the story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age. "T minus thirty-eight years" "I jumped at the offer" "Not a meaningful test!" "Mommy's going to the moon!" "It was too good to be true" "Regret to advise" "Let's stop this now!" "Jerrie Cobb isn't running this program. I am!" "The men go off and fight the wars and fly the airplanes" "NASA never had any intention of putting those women in space" "We want to see a woman driving the bus, not sitting in the back" "I am living proof that dreams do come true." Presents the story of the thirteen women connected with NASA's Mercury 13 space mission, who braved prejudice and jealousy to make their mark and open the door for the female pilots and space commanders that would soon follow