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I haven't been on Tumblr for such a long time

(Credit to NASA)

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February 16, 1962: The Soviet Union selects five women into its cosmonaut corps; only one ever flies in space.

In an effort to prove the Soviet Union valued all citizens and believed men and women were equals, Tatyana Kuznetsova, Valentina Ponomareva, Irina Solovyova, Valentina Tereshkova, and Zhanna Yorkina are selected to be the world’s first female space travelers. Tereshkova became the first woman to fly in space on June 16, 1963. Although a planned two-women Voskhod mission was planned, Chief Designer Sergei Korolev’s death in 1966, as well as the Soyuz 1 disaster in 1967 and a lunar program that just couldn’t seem to get off the ground, neither of the other four cosmonauts ever flew in space. 

Learn more about these remarkable women here!

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I recently learned the first person of African descent into space launched on an Interkosmos mission

March 2, 1978: Soyuz 28 launches as the first crewed Interkosmos mission; Czechoslovakian Vladimir Remek becomes the first non-US or USSR citizen in space.

Interkosmos was a Soviet program that flew citizens from other pro-Soviet, Warsaw Pact, and socialist states into space. A total of 18 research cosmonauts from 16 countries flew to the Salyut 6, Salyut 7, and Mir space stations from 1978 to 1991. While onboard the station, Remek took pictures of his home country of Czechoslovakia, performed life science experiments, and used the onboard furnace for materials processing.

Learn more about the Interkosmos missions here!

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March 9, 1961: Korabl-Sputnik 4 carries space dog Chernushka and space dummy Ivan Ivanovich on a single-orbit flight.

Ivan was an anthropomorphic test dummy, or lifelike mannequin used to test the ejection seat of the Vostok spacecraft before crewed flight. His body housed small rodents and a radio transmitter. Ivan flew with Chernushka on March 9th and again with the dog Zvezdochka on March 25 in the final test flight before Yuri Gagarin’s historic spaceflight. Though the most famous, Ivan was only one of multiple “dummies” used in space exploration.

Read more about Ivan and the other space mannequins here!

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Accidentally reposted on the wrong page : /

Wally Schirra made a parody video of Alan Shepard. On the 6th anniversary of Freedom 7, this video, called “Astronaut Hero, or How to Succeed in Business Without Flying … Much”, was shown at a fundraiser in front of hundreds of people. Schirra narrated the funny film that featured planes crashing, Freedom 7’s recovery, and the first two space chimps: Ham and Enos. It featured the picture above also. The film humorously made fun of Shepard. At the end of the five-minute video, Shepard unexpectedly came on the screen and said “Wally, I expect you to be at my office at oh-eight-hundred Monday morning”. Schirra did not know about that little scene that Shepard had added.

I have only found a four-minute version of this film on a PBS site. That version was posted over five years ago. Is there a site online where the full video is found??? I really want to see the entire thing.

Sources: http://ablogaboutnothinginparticular.com/?p=1433 and Neal Thompson’s book “Light This Candle: The Life and Times of Alan Shepard”.

#wally schirra #alan shepard

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This still of Wally has me cracking up

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Reporter: “I realize that this isn’t a flight to the moon, but if it were, which two men would go down?”

Gus: “If it was this crew, it’d be me and somebody else.”

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50 years ago today, Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. PhD (October 2, 1935 – December 8, 1967) was killed in an F-104 Starfighter crash at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Bob was a chemist, an Air Force test pilot, and became the first African-American astronaut when he was selected for the USAF’s Manned Orbital Laboratory program in 1967. He was killed while serving as an instructor pilot less than six months after his MOL selection.

Bob was incredibly driven, intelligent, and humble. He was a talented piano player and a chess whiz. He graduated high school at 16 and college at 20. He loved animals, fast cars, science (he had a doctorate in physical chemistry), and most of all, flying. Bob was also a son, brother, husband, and father to his eight-year-old son Tracey.

“Interpreted within the large context of American history, the appointment [to MOL] necessarily placed the name of Robert Lawrence alongside Jackie Robinson, James Meredith, Thurgood Marshall, and other ‘firsts’… Maj. Robert H. Lawrence became a hero in the American tradition. And in doing so he proved, finally, what black people in this country have long known—that excellence has no color. For young black boys like his own son, should they seek to be heroes in the traditional manner or heroes of another kind, it is the legacy one courageous black man left them.” -David Llorens, Ebony (February 1968)

“Bob’s death is quite a personal loss to Tracey and myself. He gave us a love and security that will be a tremendous void in the days and years ahead. However, he gave his life doing the thing that he wanted most—preparing to be an astronaut. Every day of his life has been given toward that goal. I am most proud of him, as an Air Force officer and as an American. I hope all of you share this pride with me.” -Barbara Lawrence, Bob’s widow

“I have been proud of my son ever since he was born and proud of everything he has done.” -Gwendolyn Duncan, Bob’s mother

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Behind the scenes of The Right Stuff (1983)

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[sees a space shuttle] ok double boomer

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Is it really a sci-fi film if you haven’t seen a space helmet reflection? 

Via Eric Ulrich

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Happy 52nd anniversary to Frank and Jim- the greatest space duo of all time

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Gemini 7 launches from Cape Canaveral on this day in 1965, with a little help from “some 430,000 pounds of thrust.”

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Ed White & Jim McDivitt during the Gemini IV crew photoshoot.

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The Apollo 11 crew (Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin) training in June 1969.  They would be on the moon within a month.