From the Mercury 13 to the Blue Origin mission: A decades-long journey to the stars
Original article by Nina Sonetti
The forgotten pioneers
The story of the Mercury 13 is one of the most emblematic in the history of space exploration. These thirteen female pilots, highly qualified and with extraordinary flight experience, were excluded from NASA’s Mercury program between 1960 and 1961, despite having passed the same physical and psychological tests as their male counterparts. Today, their dream of seeing women in space continues to inspire — and on April 14, 2025, six women wrote a new chapter in this story aboard Blue Origin’s space capsule, in a 10-minute mission dedicated to promoting space tourism.
From the Mercury 13 to the Blue Origin mission: A decades-long journey to the stars
The Mercury 13, officially known as the “First Lady Astronaut Trainees” (FLATs), were selected by Dr. William Randolph Lovelace for a private program aimed at testing women’s potential as astronauts. Among them were exceptional pilots like Jerrie Cobb, who had logged more flight hours than many of her male colleagues in the Mercury Seven program.
These women passed the same extremely rigorous physical and psychological tests as the men, proving to be just as — if not more — fit for space travel. However, NASA, bound by requirements that limited selection to men with military pilot experience, did not allow them to join the official program. Despite their protests and public support, the Mercury 13 were never given the chance to fly into space.
On April 14, 2025, six women took part in a historic mission aboard Blue Origin’s space capsule, showing how far we’ve come since the days of the Mercury 13. The crew included:
- Katy Perry, international pop star
- Lauren Sanchez, journalist and partner of Jeff Bezos
- Gayle King, CBS News anchor
- Aisha Bowe, former NASA scientist
- Kerianne Flynn, activist
- Amanda Nguyen, astrophysicist
The 10-minute mission took the crew beyond the Kármán line, the symbolic boundary of space, celebrating both progress and inclusion in the space industry. This event is not just a technological milestone — it’s a tribute to the women who fought for their place among the stars.
The 2025 Blue Origin mission stands as a symbol of how much the space landscape has changed. While the Mercury 13 were forced to look up at the sky from Earth, today women not only actively participate in space missions, but also lead programs and drive innovation in the sector.
From the Mercury 13 to the Blue Origin mission: A decades-long journey to the stars
This event reminds us that progress is never linear — each step forward is built on the shoulders of those who struggled before us. The Mercury 13 never made it to space, but their courage and determination paved the way for future generations.
This article was originally written in Italian here
by Nina Sonetti