NASA's 1978 astronaut class was a turning point for the agency, and it set the stage for the more diverse and inclusive space program we have today
When you look back on the long history of crewed spaceflight, one group stands out for its radical challenge to the conventional wisdom of who could become an astronaut. NASA’s astronaut class of 1978 saw not only its first women and people of color working as astronauts such as Sally Ride and Guy Bluford, but also the first Asian American astronaut, El Onizuka, the first Jewish American astronaut, Judy Resnik, and the first LGBT astronaut, once again Sally Ride.
Related There were early pioneers like the Mercury 13, a group of women who trained for spaceflight but never flew on a NASA mission, or the Black test pilots who applied but were passed over for astronaut training. But throughout this period, the face of American spaceflight remained firmly white and male.
This group was different from previous classes in terms of background and approach as well. “Almost half of them were civilians. They weren’t part of the military,” Bagby said. “So for the first time, you had this big group of scientists coming in, and they had a different outlook than the military test pilots.”
“Spacewalking is a very physical activity,” Bagby said. “Kathy Sullivan, who was the first American woman spacewalker and was also part of this class, is a fantastic athlete and I think that helped her become a good spacewalker. Because it’s really physical and grueling, and it takes forever. It’s basically construction in space.”
Particularly for mothers, an expectation still exists that women will always put their children first — which can be at odds with a career in space. “I think women still feel torn between family and career in a way that men don’t,” Bagby said. Then there’s the issue of the inherent risks of the job which they have to consider. “It’s also a big danger to take. If you’re the primary caretaker and you’re lost, it’s a big loss to the family.
“Everyone thought that there was one type of person that could do well in space, and that it was strong men who were athletic and had the ‘right stuff’. But it’s just not true. Anybody can do well in space,” Bagby said. “We’re realizing that all these differences and diversities that we have are actually big strengths.”
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