Age range 12+

When Valentina Tereshkova blasted off aboard Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963, she became the first woman to rocket into space. It would be nineteen years before another woman got a chance - cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya in 1982 - followed by American astronaut Sally Ride a year later. By breaking the stratospheric ceiling, these women forged a path for many female astronauts, cosmonauts, and mission specialists to follow. Women in Space profiles twenty-three pioneers from around the world, including Eileen Collins, the first woman to command the space shuttle, Peggy Whitson, who orbited aboard the International Space Station for more than a year, and Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space. Their story, and the stories of the pilots, physicists, and doctors who followed them, demonstrate the vital role women have played in the quest for scientific understanding.

‘[Gibson] incorporates thorough research and a strong feminist message into her accounts…This illuminating gathering of role models is also bolstered with sheaves of source notes and useful references to further resources.’ - Booklist

‘Valuable…an informative introductory overview of the many important contributions women have made to space exploration.’ - Kirkus Reviews

‘An important addition to women’s-history collection.’ - School Library Journal