Student Article
The Women Who Helped Launch Apollo: The Unsung Heroes of the Moon Mission
Mission (noun): An important job or trip to complete something.
Engineer (noun): A person who designs or builds machines or systems.
Launch (verb): To send a spacecraft or rocket into the air or space.
Astronaut (noun): A person who travels in space.
Spacesuit (noun): A special suit astronauts wear to protect them in space.
When people think of the first Moon landing, they often picture Neil Armstrong’s famous step in 1969. But did you know that many women made this mission possible? Even though no women walked on the Moon, their hard work was vital.
Launching Apollo 11
JoAnn Morgan was the only female engineer who worked on the Apollo 11 launch. She helped control the launch and made sure everything ran smoothly.
Saving the Moon landing
Margaret Hamilton led the team that wrote the computer software guiding the spacecraft. Her code helped prevent a crash during the landing.
Bringing Apollo 13 home
Judith Love Cohen worked on safety systems. Her designs helped save the Apollo 13 crew when their ship had a problem in space.
Sewing spacesuits by hand
Women also sewed the spacesuits worn by the astronauts. Their careful stitching made sure the suits were strong and safe. Even though they didn’t go into space, their skills helped astronauts survive.
Well-deserved credit
Today, women work in all areas of space exploration. They are astronauts, engineers, and scientists, continuing to inspire the next generation.
© Sue Nelson / Our Media
Mission (noun): An important job or trip to complete something.
Engineer (noun): A person who designs or builds machines or systems.
Launch (verb): To send a spacecraft or rocket into the air or space.
Astronaut (noun): A person who travels in space.
Spacesuit (noun): A special suit astronauts wear to protect them in space.