Let’s just get the awkward part out of the way immediately. Who was the first woman on the moon? Honestly, nobody. Not yet, anyway. If you came here looking for a name like Neil Armstrong but with a different pronoun, you won’t find it in the history books because it hasn't happened. It’s kind of wild when you think about it. We’ve had rovers on Mars, sent probes into interstellar space, and we're currently arguing about colonizing the galaxy, yet every single person who has ever kicked up lunar dust has been a man.
Twelve men. That’s the count. Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo program saw a dozen Americans walk on the lunar surface. All of them were white, male, military-trained test pilots.
But wait.
Before you click away thinking this is a short story, there is a lot more to it than just a "no." The history of women in the space race is a messy, frustrating, and incredibly cool saga of "almosts" and "could-have-beens." It’s a story about why it took so long and, more importantly, who is actually going to be the first woman to finally break that streak. Because that person exists. She’s training right now.
Why hasn’t a woman walked on the moon yet?
It wasn't because they weren't capable. Back in the early 1960s, a group of female pilots known as the Mercury 13 underwent the same grueling physical and psychological tests as the male Mercury 7 astronauts. They were led by Jerrie Cobb, a world-record-holding pilot who actually outperformed many of the men in certain tests—especially the sensory deprivation tanks and cardiovascular stress exams.
NASA wasn't officially involved, though. The project was privately funded by William Randolph Lovelace II, the guy who helped develop the tests for the actual astronauts. He was curious if women could handle the rigors of space. Turns out, they could. In some ways, they were better suited for it. Women are generally smaller and lighter, which means they require less food and oxygen—a huge plus when you're counting every gram of fuel in a rocket.
So why didn't they fly? Politics. Plain and simple.
In 1962, Jerrie Cobb and Janey Hart testified before Congress, arguing that women should be allowed in the space program. But the requirement at the time was that all astronauts had to be military jet test pilots. Since the military didn't allow women to fly jets back then, they were effectively barred from the "club." Even John Glenn, a genuine American hero, testified that "The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order." It’s a heavy quote that basically sums up why the moon stayed a "boys only" club for the duration of the 20th century.
The Russian "First" That Changed the Game (Sort Of)
While the U.S. was dragging its feet, the Soviet Union decided to snag a PR win. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. She circled the Earth 48 times in Vostok 6. It was a massive achievement, but even that was wrapped in a bit of a cynical wrapper—the Soviets largely did it for the propaganda value to show they were more "progressive" than the Americans.
Tereshkova was a skydiver, not a pilot. After her flight, it took another 19 years before another woman, Svetlana Savitskaya, went up. The U.S. didn't catch up until 1983 with Sally Ride.
By the time Sally Ride made it to orbit on the Space Shuttle Challenger, the Apollo moon missions were a decade in the rearview mirror. The Saturn V rockets were in museums. The focus had shifted to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This is why the question of "who was the first woman on the moon" remains a future-tense query rather than a historical one. We stopped going to the moon before we started letting women into the cockpit.
Meet Christina Koch and the Artemis Mission
Now, let’s talk about the person who is actually going to change this.
NASA’s Artemis program is the official successor to Apollo. Its stated goal is to land "the first woman and the next man" on the lunar surface. This isn't just a vague "maybe one day" plan. We have hardware. We have a crew.
In April 2023, NASA announced the crew for Artemis II. This mission won’t land—it’s a flyby, similar to what Apollo 8 did—but it’s the crucial final step before the boots-on-the-ground mission of Artemis III.
Christina Koch was named as a Mission Specialist for Artemis II.
If you follow space news, you know Koch is a powerhouse. She already holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and participated in the first all-female spacewalk with Jessica Meir. Koch is an electrical engineer who has spent time at the South Pole and worked on scientific instruments for several NASA missions. She is arguably one of the most qualified humans on the planet to go to the moon.
Who will be the first woman to actually step on the moon?
While Koch will be the first woman to reach lunar orbit in the 21st century, the person who will actually walk on the surface will be chosen from the Artemis Team—a diverse group of astronauts that includes names like:
- Jessica Meir: A marine biologist who already made history with Koch.
- Anne McClain: A former Army OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot.
- Nicole Mann: A Marine Corps test pilot who commanded the SpaceX Crew-5 mission.
- Kayla Barron: A submarine warfare officer and nuclear engineer.
The selection for the Artemis III landing crew hasn't been finalized yet, but the pool is elite. These aren't just "passengers." They are pilots, scientists, and engineers who represent the literal peak of human capability.
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The Tech That Makes It Possible (And Different This Time)
Going back to the moon in 2026 or 2027 isn't like 1969. The technology is light years ahead, but the stakes are higher because we aren't just going there to plant a flag and leave. We’re going to stay.
The Artemis missions rely on the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built, and the Orion spacecraft. But the coolest part is the Lunar Gateway. Think of it like a mini International Space Station that orbits the moon. Astronauts will dock there, then take a landing craft—specifically a modified version of SpaceX’s Starship—down to the surface.
This architecture allows for much longer missions. The first woman on the moon won't just be out there for a few hours. She'll likely be part of a mission exploring the lunar South Pole, a region where we think there's water ice hidden in permanently shadowed craters. Water means oxygen. Water means hydrogen for rocket fuel. Water means a permanent base.
Why the South Pole?
You might wonder why we aren't just going back to the "Sea of Tranquility" where Neil and Buzz hung out.
The South Pole is the "real estate" of the future. Because of the tilt of the moon, some areas are in constant sunlight (great for solar power) while nearby craters are in constant darkness. These "cold traps" are where the ice is. The first woman on the moon will be a pioneer in a literal sense—she will be scouting the resources that might eventually help humans get to Mars.
Addressing the Skeptics
Whenever we talk about the first woman on the moon, people ask: "Why does it matter? Why emphasize the gender?"
It matters because for a huge chunk of spaceflight history, the talent pool was artificially capped at 50% of the population. When you're trying to do something as difficult as landing a pressurized tin can on a rock 238,000 miles away, you want the absolute best brains available. Period. By opening the door, we aren't just being "fair"—we're being smarter.
The physiological data alone is worth the trip. We know a lot about how the male body reacts to long-term microgravity and radiation. We know less about the female body. If we’re ever going to be a multi-planetary species, we need that data.
Common Misconceptions About Women in Space
- "Sally Ride was the first woman on the moon." Nope. She was the first American woman in space. She stayed in Low Earth Orbit on the Shuttle.
- "Hidden Figures were astronauts." Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were "human computers" and engineers. They were the reason the men got to the moon safely, but they never flew.
- "We can't go back because we lost the technology." We didn't lose it; we just stopped paying for it. The Saturn V blueprints exist, but the factories and the people who knew the "tribal knowledge" of how to build them are gone. We had to start over with modern tech.
What Happens Next?
The timeline for the first woman walking on the moon is fluid. Space is hard. Rockets explode. Budgets get shifted.
Right now, Artemis II is slated for a late 2025 or 2026 launch. This will be the "proof of concept" with humans on board. If that goes well, Artemis III—the landing mission—could happen shortly after.
When that hatch opens and the first woman climbs down the ladder, it won't just be a "small step." It will be the closing of a chapter that started with the Mercury 13 pilots who were told "no" sixty years ago.
Actionable Steps to Follow the Journey
If you want to witness this moment in history, here is how you can stay informed without getting lost in the noise:
- Track the Artemis "Current Status" Page: NASA maintains a specific landing page for Artemis mission updates. It’s the only place for verified launch dates.
- Watch the Orion Spacecraft’s Telemetry: During active missions, you can actually watch real-time data from the capsule through NASA’s "Eyes on the Solar System" web tool.
- Follow the Astronauts: The Artemis Team members are active on social media. Following people like Christina Koch (@Astro_Christina) or Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica) gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the training—from underwater simulations to geology field trips in the desert.
- Educate Yourself on the SLS: Understanding the difference between the SLS and SpaceX’s Starship is key to knowing how the landing will actually work. The SLS gets us to lunar orbit; Starship gets us to the ground.