[ad_1]
On June 18, 1983, 35 years ago, Sally Ride became the first American to embark on space aboard space shuttle flight STS-7 with four other crew members. Only five years earlier, in 1978, she had been selected for the first class of 35 astronauts – including six women – who flew aboard the Space Shuttle.
A lot has happened in the meantime. In the space of three decades, shuttles flew 135 times carrying hundreds of US and international astronauts into space before their withdrawal in 2011. The International Space Station began flying in 1998 and has been continuously occupied since 2001, orbiting the Earth. 90 minutes. More than 50 women have now flown in space, most Americans. One of these women, Dr. Peggy Whitson, has become head of the astronaut office and holds the US record for number of hours in space.
The space shuttle has democratized spaceflight
The Space Shuttle was an incredible flying vehicle: it launched like a rocket in Low Earth Orbit in just eight minutes, and landed softly like a glider after its mission. What is not well known, is that the Space Shuttle was an equalizer and facilitator, opening the space exploration to a wider population of the planet Earth.
This inclusive approach began in 1972 when Congress and the President approved the Space Shuttle's budget and contract. The suits, seats and all crew equipment were originally designed for a wider variety of sizes to suit all body types, and the waste management system has been modified for women. Unlike previous vehicles, the Space Shuttle could carry up to eight astronauts at a time. It had a design closer to an airplane than a small capsule, with two decks, bunks, large labs and a galley. He also provided privacy.
I graduated in engineering from the University of Washington in 1971 and, in 1976, I was a young engineer working on the first space shuttle, Columbia, with Rockwell International at the Edwards Air Force Base, California. I helped design and produce the thermal protection system – these heat-resistant ceramic tiles – which allowed the shuttle to enter the Earth's atmosphere for up to 100 flights.
It was a thrilling moment; a new space vehicle could carry large crews and cargo, including space laboratories and the Hubble Space Telescope. The shuttle also had a robotic arm, essential for the assembly of the International Space Station, and an "airlock" for space walks, and allowed us to build the International Space Station.
I knew from my first day at Rockwell that this vehicle was designed for men and women. A NASA engineer at the Langley Research Center gave me an early idea to select female astronauts for the space shuttle. In the 1970s, there were visionary men and women at NASA, in government and in the general public, who saw a future for more women in science and engineering, and to steal in the future. 39; space. Women were not beating the door to be included in the Space Shuttle program, we were invited to be an integral part of a major space exploration project.
1978: Become an astronaut
The process of selecting the first class of Space Shuttle astronauts, including women, began in 1977. NASA approached the recruitment process with a vast, innovative advertising campaign encouraging men and women of all ages. ethnic origins to apply. One of NASA's recruiters was actress Nichelle Nichols who was playing Lieutenant Ohura in the "Star Trek" series, which was popular at the time. Sally was informed of NASA's astronaut recruitment campaign through an ad, possibly on a message board, somewhere at Stanford University. Sally had been a talented tennis player, but her passion was physics. The opportunity to fly into space intrigued and resembled a challenge and a rewarding career that she could embrace.
Sally and I arrived at the same time at NASA in 1978 – she was part of the "TFNG" (Thirty-five new guys) astronaut class and I, as a new mission controller, to support the spaceship. I had already been in the aerospace industry for several years and I had made my choice for "space" at the age of 9 in a cattle ranch in the United States. State of Washington. I also applied for the 1978 astronaut class, but I was not selected until 1980.
Sally and I were part of the Flight Crew Operations mixed-flight softball team. We both played softball from an early age and were both private pilots, flying our small planes together in southeastern Texas. We also often discussed our views on career selection and the chance we had to have teachers, parents and other mentors who encouraged us to study mathematics and science at home. l & # 39; school.
STS-7: June 18, 1983
Although Sally was one of six women in the 1978 class, she preferred to be considered one of the 35 new astronauts – and judged on her merit, not on her gender. It was important for all women that the bar be as high as for men. From the operational and security point of view, it was also important. In case of emergency, there is no special allowance for sex or ethnicity: everyone had to weigh their own weight. In fact, it was said that these first six women were not only qualified, they were more than qualified.
While Sally was honored to be chosen as the first woman in her class to fly, she avoided the limelight. She believed that she was flying for all Americans, regardless of sex, but she also understood the expectations of being selected "first". When she flew on STS-7, she paid tribute to those who allowed her to be there. : to his family and teachers, to those who built and operated the Space Shuttle, to his teammates and to all of his classmates, including Dr. Kathy Sullivan, Dr. Rhea Seddon, Dr. Anna Fisher, Dr. Shannon Lucid and Dr. Judy Resnick (who lost his life on Challenger). With all the attention, Sally was a gracious "first". And the launch of STS-7 has had a unique flair. Placards around the Kennedy Space Center said "Fly Sally Fly", and John Denver gave a special concert the day before the launch, not far from the firing point.
Continue the momentum
One of the topics that Sally and I discussed frequently was why so few girls entered mathematics, technology, science, and engineering – what became known as Careers. STEM in the late 1990s. Both of us were encouraged and pushed by mentors and male and female cheerleaders. In 1972, federal contractors were actively recruiting female engineers. NASA had opened spaceflight to women in 1978 and was proud of the fact that they were recruiting and training women as astronauts and that they were employing them in engineering and science.
National needs for STEM talent and employment-friendly laws created an environment that if a young woman wanted to become an aerospace engineer, physicist, chemist, physician, astronomer or astrophysicist, she could. One would have thought that Sally's legendary flight and those of other female astronauts over the last 35 years could have inspired a wave of young women (and men) in careers in STEM. For example, when Sally flew into space in 1983, a 12-year-old middle schooler would be 47 years old. If she had a daughter, she could be 25 years old. After two generations, one could have expected that there would be big wave of new energetic young women entering the STEM careers. But that did not happen.
On the contrary, we have a growing national shortage of engineers and researchers in our country, which threatens our prosperity and our national security. The number of women graduates in engineering increased from 1% in 1971 to about 20% in 35 years. But women make up 50% of the population, so there is room for growth. So what are the "root causes" of this lack of growth?
K-12 STEM education
Many reports have indicated that the under-education of mathematics and science from kindergarten to grade 12 contributes to relatively stagnant graduation rates in STEM careers.
Completing four years of high school mathematics, as well as physics, chemistry, and biology is successfully correlated later in science, mathematics, and engineering in college. Without this preparation, career options are considerably reduced. Although I graduated from a small school in the rural state of Washington, I was able to study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mathematical analysis, biology , chemistry and physics at the end of my studies. These are all prerequisites for entry to the College of Engineering at the University of Washington. Sally had the same preparation before entering physics.
Although we have many excellent elementary and high schools in the nation, too many schools are now struggling to find qualified teachers in math and physics. Inspiring interest in these topics is also essential for retention and success. Being excited about a particular topic can keep a student engaged even in difficult times. Participation in "informal science education" in museums and camps is becoming essential for recruiting students into STEM careers, especially as teachers struggle to find the time to learn. teach mathematics and science.
Research has shown that college is a critical time for young boys and girls to adopt their attitudes toward mathematics and science, acquire fundamental skills to advance in algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and develop positive attitudes towards continuation of STEM Careers. When Dr. Sally Ride retired from NASA, she understood this, and founded Imaginary Lines and, later, Sally Ride Science, to influence career aspirations for college girls. She has organized science camps across the country, exposing young women and their parents to a variety of STEM career options. Sally Ride Science continues its outreach through the University of California at San Diego.
Challenge old stereotypes and honor Sally's legacy
However, there are still challenges, especially in this society steeped in social media. Me and other female practicing engineers have observed that girls are often influenced by what they perceive as "society thinks" of them.
In a recent discussion with a female robotics team at NASA, I asked the high school girls if they had the support of teachers and parents, and they all said yes. But they asked, "Why society? support us? I was puzzled and asked them what they meant. They then redirected me to the Internet where engineering career research returns a story after the description of "hostile workplaces".
Unfortunately, most of these stories are very old and often come from studies with very small populations. Positive news, businesses, government, universities and organizations such as the National Academy of Engineering, the Physics Girl and the Society of Women Engineers, rarely rise to the top of the research results. Currently, companies and laboratories in the United States are desperate to employ women who are qualified and STEM-inspired. But many of our young women continue to "retire".
Young women are influenced by the media images they see every day. We continue to see decades of negative stereotypes and poor images of engineers and scientists on television programs and in movies.
Popular TV celebrities continue to boast about not liking math or struggling with it. Sally Ride Science helps fight misconceptions and dispel myths by bringing scientists and practicing engineers directly to students. However, in order to make a more substantial difference, this program and similar others need help from the media. The nation depends on the technology and science produced by our scientists and engineers, but social media, television hosts, writers, and film script developers seldom reflect this reality. It may be that in addition to the K-12 challenges of our education system, the "outdated stereotypes" conveyed by the media also discourage our young women from pursuing careers in the workplace. science and engineering.
Unlimited opportunities in science and engineering
Reality? More companies than ever create family-friendly work environments and compete for female talent. In fact, there is a higher demand from companies, governments, and graduate schools in the United States for women engineers and scientists that universities can not meet.
Both Sally and I had wonderful careers backed by men and women. NASA was a great work environment and continues to be – the last two classes of astronauts were around 50 percent female.
I think Sally would be proud of what the nation has done for women in space, but would also like us to focus on future challenges to recruit more women into science and engineering and revive the passion to explore the space.
Bonnie J. Dunbar, NASA astronaut (Ret) and Distinguished Research Professor TEES, Aerospace Engineering, Texas A & M University
Source link
