TITUSVILLE, Fla. – March is Women’s History Month, but when it comes to space history, the numbers tell a stark story.
More than 500 fewer women have traveled to space compared with men. At the American Space Museum in Titusville, a gallery dedicated to women astronauts highlights both the progress made and the long road that led there.
Inside the museum, Director Marq Marquette shows News 6 Anchor Ginger Gadsden the photos of women who have flown in space lining the gallery, revealing how small the group still is.
“As of right now, 644 humans have orbited the Earth. Eighty-four of them are women.” Marquette noted.
For decades, women were not just underrepresented in spaceflight. They were excluded.
“It was very hard for women to break into the astronaut corps… there was a group of women, 13 of them, in fact, that train just like the men And their aptitude and physical abilities was just on par with the men. … and NASA did not want women to go to space in the 1960s. And they were quoted saying they didn’t think Americans would take it seriously enough.” Marquette explained.
[RELATED: John Young’s NASA legacy goes on the auction block]
Eventually, women would break not only the glass ceiling but the exosphere, helping reshape leadership in space.
Among the most experienced astronauts in history is Peggy Whitson, who has spent 695 days in space — the most by any American astronaut.
Then in 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison became the first Black woman in space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour.
The gallery also reflects the global nature of women’s contributions to space exploration. The 84 women come from all over the world, among the countries represented are Canada, France, Japan, Russia, and the U.S.
[WATCH: NASA launch teams wrap up Artemis II testing]
The gallery is named after Karan Conklin. Her vision focused not just on honoring those who made history, but on inspiring the next generation.
For some visitors, the emotional impact is immediate.
“We saw a woman fall down in this room… And she was crying and overcome with the feeling of this room as a woman.”
Moments like that highlight the power of representation, especially as NASA prepares for the next chapter in human spaceflight.
The Artemis program — named for the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology — aims to land the first woman on the moon.
Recent astronaut selections suggest the future of space exploration could look different than its past.
NASA’s most recent astronaut class, announced in September 2025, marked a milestone: women outnumbered men six to four.
The group includes engineers, scientists, pilots and dreamers — candidates who could shape the next era of exploration.
“One of these ten could actually be one of the first Americans to put their boots on the Mars surface, which is very very cool,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.