This Women’s History Month, historian Amy Shira Teitel highlights the overlooked pioneers who fought for women’s place in spaceflight
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, March 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — This Women’s History Month, space historian, author, and YouTube creator Amy Shira Teitel is drawing attention to the overlooked women who helped shape the future of spaceflight. Her acclaimed book, Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight, examines the lives of aviation pioneers Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb and their efforts to challenge the exclusion of women from NASA’s earliest astronaut corps.
“It’s important to recognize the women pioneers who changed aviation and contributed to the advancement of spaceflight,” says Teitel. “Neither were successful in their quest to fly in space, but they did open a conversation about women’s inclusion in a male-dominant world.”
The narrative around early spaceflight focuses on the men who flew,” Teitel notes. “I like the untold stories, and being a woman in a very male-dominated field, I wanted to explore the women who fought to be a part of that narrative and understand how and why they didn’t get there.”
In Fighting for Space, Teitel presents a deeply researched dual biography of Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb, two accomplished pilots who became central figures in the debate over women astronauts in the early 1960s.
Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight is available now on Amazon and other major retailers. Click here to purchase copies: https://bit.ly/46wZMZm
Cochran, born in 1906, rose from modest beginnings to become one of the most accomplished aviators of the twentieth century. She led the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II, became the first woman to break the sound barrier, and set numerous aviation records.
“Jackie Cochran was an extraordinary figure whose influence extended beyond aviation into military and political circles,” Teitel explains. “She understood how to work within the established boys club to eke out her own opportunities.”
Cobb, born in 1931, represented a younger generation of pilots determined to demonstrate women’s readiness for spaceflight. She sought out the same medical testing as NASA’s Mercury astronauts and worked to recruit other qualified female pilots to do the same.
“Jerrie Cobb believed strongly that women were capable of meeting the same standards as male astronauts,” Teitel states. “Her actions helped bring national attention to the question of women’s inclusion in the space program at a time when everything was working against her.”
Readers Give Praise for Fighting For Space
“In following the story of the women who wanted to become space pioneers, this well-researched and very readable book provides an invaluable and fresh perspective on a heavily covered subject. Spaceflight is often presented to us as one of mankind’s great adventures and most noble endeavours. And yet the early decades squandered some of the most valuable talents. In setting the record straight (and busting a few myths), the author also provides us with a thrilling story,” Amazon Reviewer
Their stories reflect both the challenges and the persistence required to expand access in fields where women had historically been excluded, says Teitel. Their efforts helped create pathways for future generations.
“We tend to focus on the major milestones in history,” Teitel says, “but there’s as much to learn from the stories of people who challenged the status quo and didn’t reach their highest goals.”
About Amy Shira Teitel
Amy Shira Teitel is a historian, author, and YouTube creator specializing in midcentury history and science. She is the creator and host of The Vintage Space and the author of Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight, and Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight Before NASA. Through her research, writing, and public engagement, Teitel has become a leading voice in documenting and preserving the history of human space exploration.
To learn more about Teitel and her impactful work, click here: https://www.amyshirateitel.com/
Amy Shira Teitel is available for interviews.
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