The six astronauts who flew were awarded medals, driven in parades and two of them were invited to address a joint session of the US Congress. Seeing as no women previously met the qualifications for the astronaut program, the question was raised as to whether or not they could. This led to the development of a project named Mercury 13 by the media, in which thirteen American women successfully underwent the tests. The Mercury 13 program was not officially conducted by NASA. It was created by NASA physician William Randolph Lovelace, who developed the physical and psychological tests used to select NASA's first seven male astronauts for Project Mercury. The women completed physical and psychological tests, but were never required to complete the training as the privately funded program was quickly cancelled. No female candidates adequately met the qualifications for the astronaut program until 1978, when a few finally qualified for the Space Shuttle program.
The six astronauts who flew were awarded medals, driven in parades and two of them were invited to address a joint session of the US Congress Seeing as no women previously met the qualifications for the astronaut program the question was raised as to whether or not they could. This led to the development of a project named Mercury 13 by the media, in which thirteen American women successfully underwent the tests. The Mercury 13 program was not officially conducted by NASA It was created by. NASA physician William Randolph Lovelace, who developed the physical and psychological tests used to select NASA's first seven male astronauts for Project Mercury. The women completed physical and psychological tests, but were never required to complete the training as the privately funded prog,ram was quickly cancelled. No female candidates adeq.uately met the qualifications for the astronaut program until 1978, when a few finally qualified for the Space Shuttle program.