Astronaut Wives Club

The group included Annie Glenn, Betty Grissom, Louise Shepard, Trudy Cooper, Marge Slayton, Rene Carpenter, and Jo Schirra.

Throughout the middle of the twentieth century, the Cold War tensions between the United States of America and the Soviet Union heightened.

[1] In an effort to boost American citizens' confidence in their government, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower decided to become involved in the Space Race and in the late 1950s launched Project Mercury.

[4] During this time of national anxiety, Americans were encouraged to find security in values of family, patriotism, and consumerism as embodied in the astronauts' wives.

[1][4] According to Lily Koppel there was a prevalent understanding that women needed to pursue a healthy marriage and family life as a way to support the United States during the Cold War.

[4] According to Tom Wolfe, the author of the 1979 book The Right Stuff, NASA marketed the astronaut wives as "seven flawless cameo-faced dolls sitting in the family room with their pageboy bobs in place, ready to offer any and all aid to the brave lads".

[3] She became "the group’s first fashion icon", and clothing stores sold the outfit she wore to the White House to celebrate the launch.

[12] A 1998 miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, produced by Tom Hanks, featured an episode written by Sally Field, "The Original Wives Club", about the Next Nine group.