Stanford Women in Space

The term "astronaut" derives from the Greek words meaning "space sailor," and refers to all who have been launched as crew-members aboard NASA spacecraft bound for orbit and beyond. In the 50-year history of the NASA space program, only 45 of the 525 astronauts have been women. Seven of these women have degrees from Stanford – a truly impressive record from a single school.  

The first US woman in space, the late Sally Ride, took all of her degrees at Stanford, from B.S. to PhD. Eileen Collins, the first woman to serve as a Shuttle commander, is a Stanford graduate. The first African-American woman in space, Mae Jemison; and the first Hispanic woman, Ellen Ochoa, are both from Stanford. Barbara Morgan, a Stanford alumna, was one of the very few Teacher Astronauts -- successfully completing her Shuttle journey after the ill-fated Challenger disaster that took the life of the initial Teacher Astronaut Christa McAuliffe. 

Please join us for a truly extraordinary evening with Eileen Collins, Barbara Morgan, and Ellen Ochoa as they discuss their experiences in space with Stanford professor Scott Hubbard, former Director of NASA's Ames Research Center.

Panel:

• Eileen Collins, MS '86, the first woman to serve as a Shuttle commander
• Barbara Morgan, AB '73, one of the few Teacher Astronauts
• Ellen Ochoa, MS '81, PHD '85, the first Hispanic woman in space
• Scott Hubbard, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics (moderator)