Rise of the rocket girls : the women who propelled us, from missiles to the moon to Mars /

Rise of the rocket girls : the women who propelled us, from missiles to the moon to Mars /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Holt, Nathalia, 1980- author.
Edition:	First edition.
Imprint:	New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2016.
Description:	xiii, 338 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
Language:	English
Subject:	Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.) -- History. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.) Women mathematicians -- United States -- Biography. Women mathematicians -- United States -- History. Rocketry -- United States -- History. Astronautics -- United States -- History. Astronautics. Rocketry. Women computer programmers. Women in computer science. Women mathematicians. United States. Biographies Biography. History.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/10782609

Hidden Bibliographic Details
Varying Form of Title:	Rocket girls
ISBN:	9780316338929 0316338923
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-323) and index.
Summary:	During World War Il, when the brand-new minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate jet velocities and plot missile trajectories, they recruited an elite group of young women--known as "computers"--who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design and helped bring about America's first ballistic missiles. But they were never interested in developing weapons--their hearts lay in the dream of space exploration. So when JPL became part of a new agency called NASA, the computers worked on the first probes to the moon, Venus, Mars, and beyond. Later, as digital computers largely replaced human ones, JPL was unique in training and retaining its brilliant pool of women. They became the first computer programmers and engineers, and through their efforts, we launched the ships that showed us the contours of our solar system. For the first time, this book tells the stories of these women who charted a course not only for the future of space exploration but also for the prospects of female scientists. Based on extensive research and interviews with the living members of the team, Rise of the Rocket Girls offers a unique perspective on the role of women in science, illuminating both where we've been and the far reaches of where we're heading.--Adapted from dust jacket.

Description
Summary:	The riveting true story of the women who launched America into space. <br> <br> In the 1940s and 50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they didn't turn to male graduates. Rather, they recruited an elite group of young women who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible.<br> <br> For the first time, Rise of the Rocket Girls tells the stories of these women -- known as "human computers" -- who broke the boundaries of both gender and science. Based on extensive research and interviews with all the living members of the team, Rise of the Rocket Girls offers a unique perspective on the role of women in science: both where we've been, and the far reaches of space to which we're heading.<br> <br> "If Hidden Figures has you itching to learn more about the women who worked in the space program, pick up Nathalia Holt's lively, immensely readable history, Rise of the Rocket Girls ." -- Entertainment Weekly
Physical Description:	xiii, 338 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-323) and index.
ISBN:	9780316338929 0316338923