Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars

In the 1940s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) needed quick-thinking mathematicians, it recruited an elite group of young women - known as human computers - who, with only pencil, paper, and brain power, helped bring about America's first ballistic missiles. However, their hearts lay in the dream of space exploration, and when JPL became part of NASA, the "computers" helped send the first probes to the moon. Later, through their efforts, we launched the ships that showed us the contours of our solar system. For the first time, Nathalia Holt now tells their tales, illuminating the women who charted a course not only for the future of space exploration but also for the prospects of female scientists. Based on extensive interviews with the living members of the team, Rise of the Rocket Girls shines the spotlight on the role of women in science, both where we've been and where we're heading.

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