Atmosphere: A Love Story

Joan prepares for classes at Rice University in Houston, where she teaches astronomy. She speaks on the phone with her younger sister, Barbara, who describes a commercial in which the actress Nichelle Nichols announces that NASA is recruiting scientists to become astronauts and seeks women candidates. Joan recalls wanting to be an astronaut when she was a child. However, she read about the First Lady Astronaut Training program during the Mercury mission years, which NASA refused to certify. Even a congressional hearing that discussed gender discrimination didn’t change NASA’s official position that women couldn’t be astronauts. Joan has “spent a lifetime looking up at the stars, but had not imagined herself in a space suit in a very long time” (18). Joan sends in her application to the new program. When NASA announces the new astronaut candidacy class in January, the list includes six women but not Joan.

A year later, in 1979, NASA opens applications again. Joan applies again and is one of 121 applicants invited to a weeklong interview and testing process. As part of a group of 20 applicants, Joan attends a briefing presented by astronaut instructor, Steve Hagen, and Antonio Lima, the “director of flight at the Astronaut Office” (20). Though most applicants are men, she sees a woman with curly brown hair in attendance.

Antonio explains the new NASA shuttle program, describing the design of the shuttles, which are intended to be reusable. Unlike earlier spacecraft, which were launched by rockets, detached in space, and returned to Earth by splashdown landings in water, the shuttles can reenter the atmosphere and land on wheels like a plane. On these shuttles, mission specialists will perform various scientific experiments while in orbit.

During the week, Joan participates in interviews and tests to assess her mental and physical capabilities. Two months later, she receives a call from Antonio. She was chosen as part of the next astronaut candidate class.

Joan quits her teaching position at Rice University. The male professors in the Physics and Astronomy department never respected her as a woman in a male-dominated field. They don’t understand how she earned such a position. Though she’s an accomplished pianist and amateur artist in addition to being a brilliant astronomer, men always underestimate her. She suspects that it would be easier if she were beautiful like Barbara.

Joan reflects on the past. She was pursuing her PhD at CalTech when Barbara called from Houston to announce that she was pregnant. She didn’t know who the father was but decided to keep the baby, having experienced a miscarriage as a teen. She believed this baby would give her aimless life meaning. Joan promised to support her. After that, Barbara called constantly asking for help. Joan attended the birth, filled out the birth certificate for her niece, Frances, and spent months sleeping on Barbara’s sofa to help with the new baby.

Eventually, Joan applied for the teaching position at Rice University so that she could stay nearby and help Barbara and Frances as needed. Now, Frances is six and Joan is moving to an apartment in Clear Lake close to Johnson Space Center where she’ll be training, about an hour away. She promises to visit every weekend and help as much as possible, but Barbara complains that Joan is abandoning her.

Joan moves into her new apartment. Three other candidates, Donna, Lydia, and Griff, live in the same building. Donna, Griff, and Joan become friends, sticking together in the first days of training. Lydia is standoffish and intense. Donna thinks she’s arrogant, adding that Lydia once specified that she was a trauma surgeon and therefore better than Donna, who is “only an ER doctor” (32).

Joan meets Vanessa, whom she recognizes as the woman with curly brown hair from the interviews week. One night during the first week of training, Joan eats dinner alone at a bar. Vanessa approaches, and they become friendly. Vanessa has rented a bungalow outside of Clear Lake, preferring her privacy. She’s an aeronautics engineer and a pilot. She wants to fly the shuttle but knows that NASA won’t let her because they accept only military pilots for flight training. The two women bond over their shared passion for space.

Joan soon notices that Donna and pilot Hank Redmond flirt, though they try to hide it. She reflects that she has always been “immune to romantic rituals” (45). She has only been kissed a handful of times and doesn’t understanding the appeal, but she’s adept at seeing the signs in others. She can tell that Donna and Hank are sleeping together.

Their training includes NASA history, mathematics, physics, and mechanics. One day, they learn about Apollo 1, which was intended to be the first Apollo mission. However, in January 1967, “a fire erupted in the cabin during a launch rehearsal” (46), killing all three astronauts aboard. Every candidate must be aware of the significant danger they put themselves in for their mission. The instructor urges anyone who can’t handle that to leave now. Joan isn’t afraid of death but fears leaving Barbara and Frances alone. No one leaves the room.

Days later, the candidates take turns riding aboard T-38 supersonic jets to grow accustomed to flight. The instructor reminds them that if they aren’t military pilots, they won’t be permitted to pilot. Joan notices how the candidates tend to split off: The scientists who will become mission specialists stick together, while the military pilots who will become shuttle pilots stand apart. The pilots, all white men, are especially dismissive of the women. One, Jimmy Hayman, constantly makes demeaning and lewd remarks. Lydia laughs at these jokes, legitimizing his bad behavior. Griff always stands up for the women and tells Jimmy to stop. Joan is thankful yet resents the need for his help.

The candidates train in water survival, requiring them to parachute over water, splash-land, and swim to safety in full gear. Joan is scared. Vanessa comforts her. She says, “Courage is being afraid, but strong enough to do it anyway” (53), adding that she knows Joan can be courageous.

The candidates must earn flight hours with a pilot. Joan is paired with Hank, who treats her with friendly respect. Later, Barbara and Frances visit, and Joan tells them about her flight. Barbara says Joan looks happier. She assumes that Joan must finally have met a man, a topic that Joan’s family often harasses her about, but Joan says that she’s just excited about her job.

In late August, Joan attends a barbecue held by Steve and his wife, Helene. Vanessa approaches, and they chat. Vanessa compliments her, saying that Joan looks like Ingrid Bergman. Joan says that Vanessa looks like Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. That night, Griff offers to drive Joan home. Joan wonders if he’s flirting with her but dismisses it.