New on Netflix this week: Mercury 13. This is the story of the 13 women pilots who went through the astronaut qualification program, but weren’t allowed to fly because they were female.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80174436
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mercury-13-review-grounded-aspirations-1524171367
Dr. Randy Lovelace, medical director of NASA, strongly supported the inclusion of women in the space flight program. Women required less oxygen, fewer calories to perform the same tasks, and, in Dr. Lovelace’s view, handled the psychological & physical stress of space flight better.
It’s incredible to see these women flying races in dresses, high heels and pearls.
It took almost another 30 years before a woman (Eileen Collins) was allowed to pilot a space mission.
Definitely worth a watch.