Are Female Astronauts the Future of Space?

Are female astronauts better suited to space travel, and should we consider all-female crews as we colonize the Solar System?

By Dr. Ana Luiza Dias and James Maynard

Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in June 1983. Image credit: NASA

Are women better astronauts than men? This question will become central to the selection of crews to the Moon, Mars, and beyond as we undertake the colonization of space.

In the struggle for gender equality, women have already proven they are capable of doing anything — including conquering space, showing that not even the sky is the limit for their success.

“The first all-female spacewalk at the International Space Station was carried out in October of 2019 and many other milestones have already been accomplished by female astronauts. But there has yet to be a first woman on the moon (or on Mars),” Katharina Buchholz writes for Statista.

The First Women in Space

Valentina Tereshkova seen in 1963 became the first woman in space. Image credit: RIA Novosti

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was born in Russia, in 1937. At the age of 18, working at a textile factory, she designed parachutes to aid her love of skydiving.