By Daniel Hnatt
NEW YORK — In The Six, author Loren Grush seamlessly weaved the women and events that established the foundation of inclusion and equality within NASA into her storyline, reinforcing the integral importance of every setback and accomplishment these women faced. Grush portrayed the plight of the initial six women accepted into the NASA program which included Sally Ride Ph.D. Physics, Judy Resnik Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, Kathy Sullivan Ph.D. Geology, Anna Fisher M.D., Rhea Seddon M.D., and Shannon Lucid Ph.D. Biochemistry. Each one of these pioneers had a unique story and The Six captured each one respectively.
Growing up around space shuttles and rocket scientists, Grush, the daughter of NASA engineers, had the uncommon insight to assemble a descriptive depiction of these astronauts’ lives within and outside of NASA. Her experience as a space journalist, which gave her access to their lives, provided personal gems into each astronaut’s journey and historical references that reveal the pressures and challenges overcome by these women.
From submitting their NASA federal job applications, through the United States and Soviet Union space race, to the future state of NASA, Grush comprehensively conveyed the trials and tribulations these women endured to accomplish their dreams.
In 1983 Sally Ride entered space as the first American woman NASA astronaut. This breakthrough in women’s equality came over twenty years after Jerrie Cobb and Jane “Janey” Briggs Hart, aspiring astronauts, approached a US Congress subcommittee to allow women into NASA, but they were declined. The women who were accepted twenty years later, competed with each other and supported one another as they persevered through the rigorous training programs developed for military men.
Grush showcased how all of these pioneering women paved the future of space exploration for all women and humanity at large. This radically inclusive theme of perseverance rang throughout this book. Among their many groundbreaking feats, their accomplishments included being the first women from the United States, the first LGBTQ person, the first Jewish person and the first mom to enter space.
In a virtual press conference in May 2023, Grush was asked about her thoughts on a statement John Glenn made regarding women being accepted into NASA. On July 18, 1962. Glenn was at a House of Representatives subcommittee and declared “We don’t feel at this time this would be an essential asset for our space program,” in reference to the motion of admitting women into NASA. This was testimony stated during the subcommittee hearing that Cobb and Hart fought to establish.
At the virtual press conference in 2023, Grush responded to Glenn’s testimony and the subcommittee meeting that Cobb and Hart called for to initiate change, “We, as humans, we’re always very good at making excuses for why we could not include everyone. Ya know. [sic] When it came to the space race and getting to the moon, it was, well, ‘we have to get to the moon as quickly as possible.’ Then it became an issue of safety. ‘Oh we have to be as safe as possible.’”
“But all of these things are just excuses and they’re all choices that we make. We say that certain people can’t fly because we made design choices to say that only certain type people can fit in the suits, only the most healthy people can fly, only people with, ya know, [sic] only the most able bodied people can fly. But, those are all choices that we make. And I think it reflects our choices when we try to design our spacecrafts and design our missions to be more inclusive for everyone,” Grush continued, “And I think that just makes us a much more well rounded species and also a smarter space program.”
Throughout this book, Grush elaborated on the tightrope each one of “the six” walked to achieve greatness. There were obvious adversaries but also proponents. Some of the biggest supporters of “the six” were their male comrades in their astronaut class. These men witnessed the relentless effort each one of the women brought every day to every challenge.
Grush painted a picture of every woman’s identity while providing tangible realism connected to the six’s actions and personal life. Overall, it’s safe to say that these six women are as significant to NASA as Glenn, Shepard, and Armstrong, or any one of the many male astronauts of their time.
The Six is currently available for pre-order and will be obtainable on September 12, 2023. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Six/Loren-Grush/9781982172800.