William Randolph Lovelace

William Randolph Lovelace appears in Omission accomplished: why the Iran-war cycle spins on as the doctor whose program tested women for space flight in the early space age. Wally Funk joined the program at 21 and, according to the episode, took the same tests as men.

The source uses Lovelace’s program as evidence that the women had been medically and physically tested rather than merely aspiring to fly. The later exclusion of Funk and the other women therefore becomes a Gender Barrier Spaceflight case.

Connections

• Wally Funk - participant whose test performance anchors the segment.
• Gender Barrier Spaceflight - concept made visible by the gap between testing and selection.
• Ann Wroe - contributor recounting the episode’s account.