The women of the Mercury 13 crew aced the same tests as male astronauts, but decades would pass before spaceflight would be for both men and women. The Mercury 13 Program consisted of thirteen American women who, as part of a privately funded program, successfully underwent the same physiological screening tests as had the astronauts selected by NASA on April 9, 1959, for Project Mercury. The term "Mercury 13 Program" was coined by James Cross as a comparison to the Mercury Seven name given to the selected male astronauts. The Mercury 13 program was not part of NASA's astronaut program, they never flew in space as part of a NASA mission, and never met as a whole group. Enjoy this small documentary from Rad History, THe Mostly Forgotten Women of "The Mercury 13" Crew.
