Go on an exhilarating journey through the history of the United States’ female astronauts with Valerie Neal, emerita curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and an expert on human spaceflight.
On Thursday, April 2 at 2:00pm, Neal will host a virtual program focused around her book, On a Mission: The History of US Women Astronauts, which spans 45 years and 61 astronauts and details the epic journeys of the women who made space for themselves in a male-dominated field.
Neal, who interviewed many of the U.S. women astronauts to bring their experiences to life, offers a culturally insightful history of their achievements, the challenges they faced, and their distinctive stories. Collectively, they've completed more than 100 space shuttle missions, more than 30 long-duration stays on the International Space Station and Russian Space Station Mir, and they continue to prove themselves in present-day space exploration efforts.
On a Mission: The History of US Women Astronauts also includes 50 black-and-white photographs to complement the historical accounts.
With its sweeping look from the first women astronauts to Christina Hammock Koch, assigned to the first crewed Artemis mission around the moon, there is no comparably thorough book on America's women astronauts. On a Mission is an inspiring tribute to unsung women's history.
Edison Public Library cardholders can register to take part in this inspirational discussion and to submit questions to Neal. |
