Tag: Sally Ride

Women Supporting Early Space Efforts Traveled a Difficult Road

Women Supporting Early Space Efforts Traveled a Difficult Road

When NASA’s Kennedy Space Center became operational in the summer of 1962, very few woman held jobs beyond secretarial or housekeeping positions. Today, they serve in leadership posts, engineering jobs and other key roles alongside their male counterparts. Retired spaceport engineer and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott spoke to employees at the Florida spaceport inspiring women to take full advantages of opportunities now offered.

NASA Helped Kick-start Diversity in Employment Opportunities

NASA Helped Kick-start Diversity in Employment Opportunities

When John F. Kennedy was sworn in as president in 1961, he promised to reach for a “New Frontier.” Attention abroad concentrated on the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Closer to home, there was increasing unrest among those who were being left behind simply because of their race. America’s space agency soon would be thrust into the forefront of both issues.