ANITA SULLIVAN playwright

Women astronauts in pearls and heels

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In 1961 thirteen women aviators took NASA's physical selection tests for male astronauts, without any adjustment for gender physiology. They all passed. Jerrie Cobb and Wally Funk also passed the psych and stress tests used to select the Mercury 7 men. The Mercury 13 never flew in space. This play tells their story.

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The drama includes an new interview with the inspirational Wally Funk, who was in her 70's at the time, still longing to go to space. In July 2021aged 82, she finally made it, on Jeff Bezos' Blue Horizon flight, She is the oldest person in space.

 

'Mercury 13' is an original Afternoon Drama for Radio 4. It was first broadcast in November 2014. Starring Samantha Dakin, Laurel Lefkow and William Hope.

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Produced by Kate McAll, BBC Radio Cardiff