This is the lady who sent the man to the moon. Among the many men's faces and black ties during the historical launch of Apollo 11, one can see the only woman watching the unfolding story - 28-year-old engineer Joanne Morgan.
Amazing woman
“I hope that the photographs that captured me are no longer there,” said 78-year-old Morgan this week.
By the 50th anniversary of the mission, Joanne became a cult figure thanks to her innovative role in a profession where women were once completely undesirable. Therefore, they were never taken to launch a rocket into space. Apparently, Joanne was an exception.
Being a woman in a male team is not easy
As a senior engineer and dispatcher, Morgan did the most important job of monitoring sensors on the Apollo 11 rocket. Despite her great talent, the first female engineer at Cape Canaveral was confronted with daily distrust and temporary isolation from work.
The guard had to empty the men's bath so she could use it, and the men called her at the station.
“In a way, I felt lonely, but on the other hand, I wanted to do the best job I could do,” Joanne Morgan admitted. “I never allow myself to feel like an object.” And I’m not going to be one. I just had too much fearlessness, which was a deterrent. ”
The beginning of life
As a child, Morgan loved science and chemistry. Her father moved the family from Alabama to Florida, where rockets were launched. After that, she decided that space was the only profession in which she could show herself. The girl worked tirelessly, trained in the army at the age of 17, before getting into an agency called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
“How did I get there? I worked hard for 10 years, ”said Morgan.
She reports that she was supported by mentors, including Dr. Werner von Braun, the chief architect of Apollo 11. They helped unleash her potential and take the place of an engineer.
“All of my mentors were men,” Joanne admits. - It is obvious. You just need to put up with it. When the rocket was launched, they had no women. And my director said: “I want Joanne to manage this. She is my best communicator. She's the only one". It was very convincing. Thanks to him, the best years of my career began. ”
Following the launch of Apollo 11, Morgan became the first female executive at the Kennedy Space Center. Over her 4-year career at NASA, she has become a mentor to many men and women.
To this day, Joanne Morgan is one of the most valuable female collaborators in the space center in Florida.