Women in space

Before you watch

1. Look at the photo of Sally Ride and read the caption.What is her job?

Sally Ride, an astronaut with NASA

2. Read the sentences and choose the option you think is correct.

1 Sally Ride was the first woman in space / American woman in space.
2 She spent six days / months in space.
3 She travelled / never travelled into space again/
4 After Sally’s journey, other women / no other women went into space.

While you watch

3. (Video) Watch the video and check your answers in exercise 2.

4. Watch the video again. Match the years (1-8) with the events (a-h)

1 1958 2 1969 3 1983 4 1963 5 1984 6 1992 7 1995 8 2005

a the first Russian woman in space

b Sally Ride’s second journey into space
c the first female pilot of a space shuttle
d the first man on the Moon
e Eileen’s Collins’ third flight
f the first American women in space
g NASA began
h the first African-American woman in space

5. Watch the video again. Choose the correct answers (a-c) for each question. Some questions have more
than one answer.

1 What does the phrase ‘space was a man’s world’ mean?

a All the US astronauts were men.
b Only men worked for NASA.
c American women didn’t want to go to space.

2 How many women were in the group of candidates to be the first female astronaut?
a two b six c ten

3 What did Sally do in space?

a She helped to launch two satellites.
b She did scientific experiments.
c She flew the Challenger space shuttle.

4 What did she do after she returned from space?

a She left NASA.
b She gave talks across the USA.
c She trained other female astronauts.

5 What was Mae Jamison’s job before she became an astronaut?

a She was a doctor of Physics.
b She was a Physician.
c She didn’t have a job.

6 At the end of the video we hear: ‘Young women - as well as young men — now dream of becoming
astronauts and a journey into space.’ Why is this?
a Because of the space shuttle.
b Because of Sally Ride’s journey.
c Because of female astronauts.
After you watch

Role play an interview with Sally Ride

Student A: You are Sally Ride. Answer a journalist’s questions about your journey into space. Use the
information in the video and prepare notes about:

● what you did before you were an astronaut

● the first flight on the Challenger space shuttle
● what you did in space
● what you did after you returned
● why you think your journey was important for other people

Student B: You are a journalist. Interview Sally Ride about her journey into space. Use the information in
the video and prepare questions about:

● what she did before she was an astronaut

● the first flight on the Challenger space shuttle what she did in space
● what she did after she returned
● why she thinks her journey was important for other people

When you finish, change roles and repeat the conversation.