WOMEN’S HISTORY
AVIATION INNOVATORS
AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2021 25
Maria Mitchell discovered the first
comet
First American recognized for discovering a comet by
telescope; first woman to work as a professional astronomer
in the U.S.Mitchell grew up helping her amateur astronomer,
make complex navigational calculations for
whaling captains, determine eclipse times, and record
movements of astral features. October 1, 1847, the 29-yearold
was on the roof of the Pacific Bank, where her father
had built a simple observatory. Through this telescope,
she spotted something that wasn’t on her astronomical
charts: a comet. Her discovery and ensuing career made
her the first professional female astronomer in the U.S.
Within the year, she was elected to the American Academy
of Arts and Sciences—the first woman invited to join. She
visited observatories around the world and became an outspoken
advocate for women in science, as well as an abolitionist
and a suffragist.
El Dorado Jones inventor of the Airplane muffler
Nicknamed "Iron Woman," El Dorado Jones owned her own metalworking factory where she
employed only women over 40. Though she never received the funding to manufacture it, she
invented the airplane engine muffler. The concept was similar to that of an automobile exhaust
muffler, and when she tested the muffler at New York’s Roosevelt Field, the New York Times reported
that her device could have an influence on the future of American aeronautics. It shows
that she applied for a patent in 1919 and received it. his could have been her greatest invention,
but because of her harsh dealings with men she never obtained any financial backing which
caused her to depleted all of her funds.
Sally Ride was first American
woman in space
On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride transformed
history when she became the first American
woman to fly into space. After her second shuttle
flight, Ride decided to retire from NASA
and pursue her passion for education by inspiring
young people. As a result, she founded
Sally Ride Science, an organization dedicated
to supporting students interested in STEM.
Ride passed away in 2012, but her work continues
to inspire young women across the country.
She is the earliest space traveler to have
been recognized as LGBT.
Yvonne Brill inventor Space
rocket propulsion system
Brill's groundbreaking invention, the hydrazine
resistojet, streamlined various rocket
propulsion systems, which all required different
types of fuel and added prohibitive weight,
into a lighter system with a single fuel source.
Monopropellant thrusters are now standard,
and are why we have self-propelling satellites.