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Astronaut Karen Nyburg looks into a machine while aboard the International Space Station
Two women wearing hard hats give a presentation
A group of women at JPL

Women at NASA

Women are making history at NASA every day. Celebrate our past and look to our future as we continue to drive innovation and push the envelope.

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Women at NASA Articles

Shattering the Glass Ceiling, One Generation at a Time

5 min read

The Louvre, the Cathedral of Brasília, and the Hotel Raquel all feature breathtaking glass ceilings. Architecturally, this feature represents beauty…

Article

Researcher’s Path to NASA Leads to New Space Crop Technology

3 min read

Aubrie O’Rourke performs both fundamental and application-based science as a member of Kennedy’s Space Crop Production team.

Article

Legacy Lives On for Sally Ride, NASA’s First Woman in Space

5 min read

Trailblazing astronaut Sally Ride was celebrated during an event at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to recognize the 40th anniversary of…

Article

NASA’s Modern History Makers: Kamana Katiyar

2 min read

Credits: NASA: Heather Brown < Back to gallery NASA’s Sound Bites video series celebrates members of our workforce and shares…

Article

Sholainka Martyn: Powering Goddard Missions, One Small Business At a Time

4 min read

Sholainka Martyn builds connections between Goddard and the small business vendors who make the NASA mission stronger.

Article

NASA’s Modern History Makers: Carrie Green

2 min read

< Back to Gallery NASA’s Sound Bites video series celebrates members of our workforce and shares their diverse experiences and…

Article

Women in STEM Careers

Women have always played a critical role in NASA’s history. From the first black female engineer to the first female astronaut—many of our female pioneers have been the “first” to achieve something monumental in their fields. Today, the women of NASA continue to lead and inspire in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and truly make an impact on society.

Find Out More About Women in STEM at NASA about Women in STEM Careers
Lyndsey McMillon-Brown at NASA’s Glenn Research Center is developing a new type of solar cell that uses innovative materials and offer many advantages over the current state-of-the-art-technology.

Women at NASA History

Meet some of NASA's trailblazers who helped forge a path for women at NASA.

Annie Easley sits at a desk in her office in 1981

Annie Easley

Excerpt of the edited oral history transcript of a human computer and computer programmer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

Katherine Johnson at work, 1962

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was a pioneer for women everywhere. Learn more about her journey to NASA and her contributions to the agency.

Sally Ride on the flight deck of Challenger.

Former Astronaut Sally Ride

Dr. Ride was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978. Sally Ride was the first American woman to fly in space.

Astronaut Mae Jemison aboard the space shuttle

Former Astronaut Mae Jemison

Dr. Jemison applied and was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1987 and became the first African American woman in space.

Astronaut Shannon Lucid

Former Astronaut Shannon Lucid

Dr. Lucid became an astronaut in August 1979 and qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle. Dr. Lucid currently holds the U.S. single-mission spaceflight endurance record on the Russian Space Station Mir.

Astronaut Eileen Collins wearing her orange flight suit

Former Astronaut Eileen Collins

Eileen Collins was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1990. Collins has the distinction of being the first female pilot and the first female commander in shuttle history.