Frances "Poppy" Northcutt is an American engineer and attorney who began her career as a "computer" and was later a member of the technical staff of NASA's Apollo program during the Space Race. During the Apollo 8 mission, she became the first female engineer to work in NASA's Mission Control.
In this episode of the Astro Ben Podcast, Ben and Poppy discuss the Apollo era, when there were more "whooping cranes" than female engineers in the 1960s, and she reveals her famous life coach.
What you will hear in this episode
Being a trailblazer in the space industry
Poppy's responsibility on Apollo 8, and the importance and difficulty of Apollo 8 and Apollo 13
The importance of teamwork and big challenges
Something unknown about the Apollo program
Private and public companies in space, and inclusivity for women
Whether Poppy would go to space
Early plans for getting to Mars, and the global effect of getting there
The Artemis program
Advice to women in the space industry
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