Scrapbook 2: Jun–Jul 1962 — Female astronauts

PILOT Jacqueline Cochrane led a group of young women before Congress today to ask for a chance for them to become the world’s first space-women.

She was backed by 31-year-old Jerrie Cobb, first woman to undergo all the Mercury astronaut selection tests, and by a Senator’s wife with eight children.

They revealed that 12 American women out of 25 examined have secretly passed the Mercury tests at the Lovelace Foundation, Alberquerque, New Mexico.

Those successful included twin 35-year-old sisters, three married women—and a divorcee.

Jacqueline Cochrane, who holds more speed, distance and altitude records than any other living person, wore a shimmering silk Chanel suit and chain-smoked as she testified to the House Committee on Science and Astronautics.

She said her experience showed women would prove as fit as men, physically and psychologically, for space flying.

Medicals

She urged immediate medical tests on a large group of women, followed by an astronaut training programme.

Jerrie Cobb told the committee that Miss Cochrane paid the expenses of the women who underwent the Mercury tests.

Each woman had been pledged to secrecy. Until today none knew the other.

Miss Cobb, dressed in black and with her blonde hair in a ponytail, said: “Each of us join in offering our abilities to our country’s space efforts.”

She described herself as “the first woman candidate for space.”

She insisted there was no battle of the sexes and said women weighed less and needed less food and oxygen than men. They were more radiation-resistant, less prone to heart attacks, less susceptible to monotony, loneliness, heat, cold, pain and noise.

A third blonde, Senator’s wife Janey B. Hart—she has four boys and girls—wore a chunky gold bracelet and a huge astronaut’s wrist watch as she told the Congressmen that space was being restricted to men, “like some sort of stag club.”

She said: “For many women, the Parents-Teachers Association just isn’t enough.”

THE “Hatbox”—official name Tiros Five—went into orbit yesterday.

America’s latest weather satellite, shaped like a hatbox, was launched from Cape Canaveral.

Russia

During its ninety-seven-minute orbit of the Northern Hemisphere it will travel over most of the world and pass over Russia at different times.

Pictures taken by Tiros Five will be fed into a world-wide weather network to provide information for forecasters in over thirty countries, including Britain.

• An RAF crew from North Luffenham, Rutland, successfully launched a Thor missile from Vandenberg Air Base, California, yesterday.

WASHINGTON (UPI) — Rep. George Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, says he believes a woman astronaut eventually will be fired into orbit around the earth.

“Whether the time is right now or not is a question we’re going to look into,” the California Democrat said in a radio interview.

Miller has appointed a subcommittee to hear complaints from women who claim they are being shut out of the nation’s space program.

“I can assure you there are a very vocal group of women in this country who believe we should have female astronauts,” Miller said.

As for his personal view, Miller said if a qualified woman could be found, he would be in favor of training her for the astronaut team. But he said he didn’t know of any woman who could qualify as a test pilot — a basic requirement for the astronaut team.

All Do Not Agree

Miller said all women do not agree they should share space exploration with their male counterparts.

“There is at least one woman flier who is outstanding who feels that they should […] said.

But Miller […] women had strong […] they should be […] space program. He […] hearings would be […]

On Project Mercury […] plans Miller predicted […] flights would be […] The third flight would […] seven- or 15-orbit flight.

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The House Space Committee ordered an investigation of alleged government discrimination against women in the nation’s space exploration program.

The committee, meeting in executive session, named Rep. Victor L. Anfuso, D-N.Y., as chairman of a special nine-man, two-women investigating subcommittee to look into complaints about male dominance in space.

Anfuso said a number of women feel they are being discriminated against by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The New York Democrat said he was not prepared to make any judgments in the controversy until all the evidence was in.

In other action:

—The Senate Space Committee received assurance from the Pentagon’s research chief that the Defense Department has no intention of moving in on programs which properly fall under the jurisdiction of NASA.

—The chairman of the House committee, Rep. George P. Miller, D-Calif., said the billions of dollars spent in the space race are not just an expression of “national ego” and the nation should have faith in a big payoff.

Anfuso said perhaps NASA should consider the advantages of “the women’s touch” when it sends teams on trips to Mars and other planets.

Some doctors have said that women physically and mentally are better adapted to the stresses of outer space than men.

Anfuso said the subcommittee staff would do some preliminary investigative work and that he hoped to begin open hearings in about three weeks.

Two women members of the full committee—Rep. Jessica Weis, R-N.Y., and Rep. Corinne Boyd Riley, D-S.C. — were appointed to the special subcommittee.

Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union, as far as is known, is training women astronauts at the present time. Both nations have sent males into orbit.

In the Senate, Dr. Harold Brown, the Defense Department’s director of research and engineering, testified on the Administration’s request for $3.8 billion in authorizations for NASA.

Replying to questions of Chairman Robert S. Kerr, D-Okla., Brown said the Defense Department does not intend to “preempt those areas that are within the proper purview” of NASA.

After Brown answered specific questions on Pentagon programs, Kerr said he believes the two agencies are in “harmonious cooperation” as contemplated by the Space Act.

Brown also testified that it eventually may be desirable to have a manned space station to meet military needs. Studies of this are being conducted, he said.

In disavowing any encroachment on NASA, Brown said the Defense Department plans to carry the DynaSoar program directly to manned orbital flights without undertaking suborbital trips.

WASHINGTON — Astronauts John B. Glenn Jr. and Malcolm Scott Carpenter found themselves — reluctantly — trying to explain why it would not be practical for some time to let any women join their space team.

Glenn and Carpenter, the first Americans to orbit the earth, took pains to say they were not criticizing the ladies—but they must first be trained test pilots.

“The best qualified people whatever their sex, color or creed should be picked,” Glenn added.

But after he said it, Glenn figured maybe he went too far with his show of gallantry when he said enthusiastically “we’d welcome them with open arms” if any women would qualify.

The crowded hearing of the House Space and Astronautics Committee went silent and then exploded in laughter.

George M. Low, director of spacecraft missions for NASA, said none of the six women among 250 applicants for astronaut training have been able to meet all of the stringent qualifications established earlier this year.

Low also told the committee that the pool of qualified men was more than ample to meet the need for the 40 or 50 astronauts required to carry out presently planned space explorations.

He pointed out that none of the women space hopefuls was a jet test pilot, that some of them lacked the required scientific or engineering education and “others were too old.”

Low said “NASA certainly doesn’t want to leave the women out.” But, he added, the available equipment was now “so very much loaded that to permit women to use it would interfere with the space program.”

Earlier, he told the committee the federal space agency has cut its new group of potential astronauts to 32 and is starting rigorous testing before choosing the five or 10 who will join the U.S. space team.

NASA began its search last April for additional astronauts to join the seven now in training, and quickly received 250 applications, Low said. The list was trimmed to 63 who met the age, experience and physical standards set by NASA and then cut to 32 during further screening last month.

Final selection will be made by this fall, he said.

Astronaut Carpenter said that present standards for astronauts are not a matter of protecting women but of protecting the program.

LT.-COL. JOHN GLENN promised a warm reception to-day to any woman with better qualifications as an astronaut than the present all-male team. “We will welcome her aboard with open arms,” he said.

When the laughter in the Congress committee-room subsided the astronaut added with a grin that he hoped his remark could be struck from the record “in the interests of my continued happy home life.”

Col. Glenn and Lt.-Cdr. Scott Carpenter, another orbital Astronaut, were speaking at a House of Representatives Space Committee inquiry into claims of discrimination against women by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

They denied any official ruling by NASA against women Astronauts. But Col. Glenn reiterated the NASA policy that jet plane test pilots provide the best source of space crew talent.

CLAIMS DISCOUNTED

This effectively rules out women. He discounted claims made yesterday that no fewer than 13 women have passed the rigid official physical and psychological tests prescribed for male astronauts.

These tests, he said, were designed to discover health defects. He went on: “My mother could probably pass the physical given for the Washington Redskins (a football team) but I doubt if she could play many games.”

When a committee member asked why a woman would not be a good companion on a trip to the moon, Col. Glenn replied that he had nothing against women.

But he indicated that he would not be interested in feminine companionship in such circumstances. What he wanted in the opposite seat was the best qualified person available, man or woman, regardless of race, colour or creed.

SPACEWOMEN

Discrimination claimed

WOMEN have certain advantages over men as astronauts. They weigh less, consume less food and oxygen, are more resistant to radiation and less susceptible to monotony, loneliness, heat, cold, pain and noise.

This was claimed by Miss Jerrie Cobb, 31, a pilot with 10,000 flying hours to her credit, at the start of a Congress committee inquiry to-day into alleged discrimination against women in space.