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Deep Dive: Mercury 13 (2018)

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Mercury 13
Mercury 13 is a documentary about thirteen American women pilots who passed the same tests as the Mercury 7 astronauts in 1960. Despite their qualifications, these women were not selected for NASA's Project Mercury due to institutionalized sexism. The film focuses on the stories of these women, including Wally Funk, Myrtle Cagle, and Jerrie Cobb, and their aspirations to become astronauts. The film presents a critical view of the barriers these women faced and how their dreams were thwarted. It emphasizes the impact of gender discrimination in the space program and reflects on the wider effects for women's roles in science and aviation during that era.

Why Watch

  • •Meet Wally Funk, a pioneering female pilot.
  • •See how sexism affected NASA's astronaut selection.
  • •Find out about the Mercury 13's qualifications.

Did You Know

•The film has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews.
•Mercury 13 features three notable women: Wally Funk, Myrtle Cagle, and Jerrie Cobb.
•The documentary runs for 79 minutes and was released in 2018.

Perfect For

Women in aviationNASA historyCivil rights activism