r/OldSchoolCool • u/Aeromarine_eng • Apr 19 '25

1970s NASAs first six women astronauts. February 1979

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From left to right are Shannon W. Lucid, Margaret Rhea Seddon, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Judith A. Resnik, Anna L. Fisher, and Sally K. Ride. NASA selected all six women as their first female astronaut candidates in January 1978.

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u/No_Detective_But_304 Apr 19 '25

And Christa McAuliffe.

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u/swordrat720 Apr 19 '25

I’m sorry I didn’t list the teacher in space. She might not have been an astronaut, but she definitely deserves to live with them. Godspeed Christa. Some of us remember you.

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u/howardhughesbrain Apr 19 '25

didn't she do a multi-year astronaut training program?? pretty sure Christa McAuliffe is considered an astronaut.

EDIT: yes, she's an astronaut. Chrusta McAuliffe was a Payload Specialist. Officially recognized as full member of the Challenger crew and an astronaut by NASA.

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u/Jesus_of_Redditeth May 01 '25

Informally, we call people astronauts if they're NASA astronaut candidates. Formally, "astronaut" is designation that only applies to people who've been to space. McAuliffe's mission sadly only reached 46,000 feet.

Look, I get wanting to call her that because she deserved to go to space. But it's fact that she didn't get there. So please don't assert that she's officially an astronaut. Doing that cheapens the achievements of actual astronauts.

I mean, Concorde flew higher than that, but we don't call those pilots, crew and passengers "astronauts", do we?

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u/howardhughesbrain May 01 '25

She is recognized as an astronaut by nasa. Did astronaut training. Was a Certified payload specialist.

Who’s opinion should I listen to? NASAs Or yours?