International Women's Day 2026 — A focus on Women Astronauts

March 8 is International Women's Day! And it has been celebrated for 115 years!

It is my favorite day to share a post about, because I just love advocating for all-things women's rights and equality, and women in STEM specifically. 

I'm always in awe and inspired by what women have achieved (past) and can do (today and tomorrow), and I want to translate this inspiration onto others.

From Women in Leadership, Women in Tech, Women in Politics, to Women in Entrepreneurship... their journeys, their grit, their dedication and hard work always inspires me.

But I wish to focus on women Astronauts...

It is only in 1978 when the first class of women astronauts in the United States were formed.

The Soviet Union beat the U.S. for first woman in space in 1963, and that was Valentina Tereshkova (first woman on the top row on the left).

It took almost 20 years for another woman to go to space, again from the Soviet Union, Svetlana Savitskaya flew in 1982, then in 1984 again, and as the first spacewalk for a woman!

Once the first class of American women astronauts were selected - six of them - it was only in the '80s that they were finally able to fly to space!

Women did try earlier, in 1959-60: the Mercury 13 women trained as hard and went through all the physicals just like the men did, but later were told they were women and could not be chosen to go to space.

So indeed, once "allowed" to really be part of a class of astronauts, and eventually get to be selected to go to space, women had to really, really prove themselves to be some of the firsts in history to do so.

👩‍🚀 In 1983, Sally Ride was the 1st American woman in space

👩‍🚀 In 1984, Judith Resnick was the 2nd, first Jewish woman in space

👩‍🚀 In 1984, Kathryn Sullivan became the 2nd woman to perform a spacewalk

👩‍🚀 In 1984, Anna Lee Fisher became the 1st mother in space

👩‍🚀 In 1985 Margaret Seddon became the 5th American woman in space, three mission, 30 days in space

👩‍🚀 In 1985, Shannon Lucid became the 6th American woman in space, the last of The Six (as they're referred in the book by Loren Grush); Shannon is a veteran of five spaceflights, from 1985 to 1996!

All this in the 1980s! 

And then throughout the '90s, early 2000s, more missions, more spaceflights, more women in space...

✔️ Women from different nations

✔️ First African American, Mae Jemison

✔️ First Hispanic woman, Ellen Ochoa

✔️ First female shuttle pilot and shuttle commander - Eileen Collins (I'm reading her book now, see photo below!)

✔️ Second female shuttle pilot, Susan Still Kilrain, (a pleasure to have met her!)

✔️ Second female shuttle commander, later, appointed Deputy Administrator of NASA, Pamela Melroy

✔️ Most time in space, most EVAs, and first female ISS commander, Peggy Whitson (66 years old and she is still an active astronaut, now with Axiom Space)

✔️ 10th woman to walk in space, Nicole Stott (pleasure to know, photo below)

✔️ First All-female spacewalk, Christina Koch & Jessica Meir, who is currently in space!

As can be seen, we've come a long way from the 1960s where it was believed that women did not have what it takes to be an astronaut!

Dream big, what ever you wish to do, and always aim for the stars! These women did, and they achieved!

Through The Glass Ceiling to The Starts; The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission

That is the book I'm currently reading, as noted above when mentioning Eileen Collins

Here is Nicole Stott, the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk. A pleasure to have met her, and love how she refers to herself and us all as Earthlings.