Books: Women in Space Science, Astronomy & Astrophysics

Thanks to the many authors who have delved into the lives and experiences of female space pioneers, astronomers and astrophysicist  we can read about these women’s enthralling and often difficult journeys. Here are some books worth reading 

1- "Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars" by Nathalia Holt - This book tells the story of the female "human computers" who worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and played a crucial role in the development of America's space program.

2- "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race" by Margot Lee Shetterly - This book (and the movie it inspired) tells the story of the African-American women who worked as mathematicians and engineers at NASA during the space race.

3- "The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars" by Dava Sobel - This book tells the story of the women who worked at the Harvard College Observatory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Henrietta Swan Leavitt, who discovered the period-luminosity relationship for Cepheid variable stars.

4- "Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo" by Nicholas de Monchaux - This book tells the story of the development of the spacesuit that allowed astronauts to walk on the moon and includes the stories of the women who worked on its design and production.

5- "The Astronaut Wives Club" by Lily Koppel - This book tells the stories of the women who were married to the astronauts who went to space in the 1960s and 70s, and how their lives were affected by their husbands' careers.

6- "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" by Neil deGrasse Tyson - This book provides an accessible introduction to astrophysics, including the work of women like Henrietta Swan Leavitt and Vera Rubin.

7- "The Interstellar Age: Inside the Forty-Year Voyager Mission" by Jim Bell - This book tells the story of the Voyager space probes and the women who worked on the mission, including planetary scientist Carolyn Porco and engineer Candy Hansen.

These books offer a diverse range of perspectives on women in space, astronomy, the ISS, and astrophysics, and provide insight into the history and current state of these fields.