Our knowledge of space has burgeoned since the 1800s, and women have played a vital role in expanding our consciousness. Yet the contributions of these women have often been downplayed or outright excised from history. The inspiring scientists on this list, along with their female and female-identifying colleagues, have faced and overcome scorn, prejudice and injustice just for the love of science and the quest to know more about the cosmos. Browsing the names that follow, you’ll find that women are responsible for some of the most crucial discoveries and developments in space science. This may be the first time you encounter these names, though the things we learned through them will be familiar to you. This list doesn’t just focus on the past and the women who have brought us to where we are today – it also honours the women who are pushing forward, fighting for equality and demolishing the barriers they, and those that preceded them, face.
1 VALENTINA TERESHKOVA