CAMILLE
BOHANNON
Edward White (above) became the first American astronaut to do a "space walk" when he left the Gemini 4 capsule on this day in 1965.
Gemini IV astronauts Ed White, left, and Jim McDivitt, pose at Cape Kennedy’s Launch Pad.
Geraldyn (Jerrie) M. Cobb (March 5, 1931 – March 18, 2019)
(Fox News) – According to reports, America’s first female
astronaut candidate who pushed for women in space but
never reached its heights has died at 88. Pilot Jerrie Cobb
died in Florida on March 18 following a brief illness.
In 1961, Cobb became the first woman to pass the grueling
astronaut testing. Altogether, 13 women passed the arduous
physical testing and became known as the Mercury 13. But
NASA already had its Mercury 7 astronauts, all jet test pilots
and all military men.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jerrie-cobb-a-56aa1e945f9b58b7d000f0ce.jpg)
Female astronaut Jerrie Cobb going over preparations for high
altitude flight.
DAVID MELENDY
On this day in 1970, Apollo 13 returned to Earth safely after an on-
board accident with an oxygen tank.
The Apollo 13 crew following recovery.
TIM MAGUIRE
On this day in 1970, Apollo 13 blasted off on a mission to the moon
that was disrupted when an explosion crippled the spacecraft. The
three astronauts onboard consisted of James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr. All three managed to return
safely to Earth on April 17, six days after launch.
The crew of the Apollo 13 mission step aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima,
prime recovery ship for the mission, following splashdown and
recovery operations in the South Pacific. From left: astronauts Fred.
W. Haise, Jr., lunar module pilot; James A. Lovell Jr., commander;
and John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot.
SANDY KOZEL
NASA announced the selection of America’s first seven astronauts
on this day in 1959.
John Glenn boards the Friendship 7 capsule to become the first American to orbit Earth.
