Testing at the same rigorous physical and psychological standards as the original Mercury Seven astronauts, Geraldyn M. Cobb became the first individual to complete every phase of the unofficial screening process. Her participation as part of the group known as the Mercury 13 marked a significant moment in the history of American aviation and space exploration efforts.
Early Aviation Career
Born in 1931 in Norman, Oklahoma, Cobb developed an early aptitude for flight, taking to the air in her father’s 1936 Waco biplane at age twelve. By sixteen, she was performing barnstorming flights across the Great Plains in a Piper J-3 Cub to fund her training. She secured her private pilot license at seventeen and obtained her commercial credentials by her eighteenth birthday. Following World War II, she managed diverse tasks including crop dusting and pipeline patrolling before delivering military aircraft to foreign forces at age twenty-one.
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Cobb established herself as a elite pilot in the late 1950s. She set world records for non-stop long-distance flight and light-plane speed in 1959. In 1960, she achieved an altitude record of 37,010 feet for lightweight aircraft. That same year, she had logged 7,000 flight hours. Her performance earned her recognition as a top young citizen in the United States and led to an invitation to conduct test flights on the Lockheed L-188 Electra for American Airlines.
The Mercury 13 and Political Barriers
In 1961, NASA Administrator James Webb appointed Cobb as a consultant. She subsequently underwent medical evaluations conducted by Dr. Randy Lovelace, ranking in the top two percent of all candidates. Despite these results, NASA denied her entry into the astronaut program, citing requirements for military test pilot experience and engineering backgrounds that excluded women. Cobb testified before Congress in 1962, but officials maintained that social order dictated the exclusion of women from space flight training.
Humanitarian Service
Following her career in professional aviation, Cobb spent three decades as a missionary pilot in South America. She mapped uncharted territory across the Amazon rain forests and the Andes Mountains, transporting supplies to remote indigenous populations. Her humanitarian contributions earned her recognition from several governments, including Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981 for her extensive aerial survey and relief efforts.
Fast facts
- Born: 1931, Norman, Oklahoma
- Died: 2019, Florida
- Member: Mercury 13
- Harmon Trophy Recipient: 1973
- National Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee: 2012
- Golden Plate Award: 1962
Questions readers ask
Did Geraldyn M. Cobb ever travel into space?
No, although she passed the same physical and psychological evaluations as the male astronauts of the Mercury program, she was never selected for a space flight mission.
What was the Mercury 13?
It was a group of thirteen female pilots who underwent private, unofficial medical testing similar to those administered to the original NASA Mercury Seven astronaut candidates.
Achievements
- National Aviation Hall of Fame — 2012
- Educated at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
- Worked as aircraft pilot and autobiographer
