Ackmann's essays and columns have appeared in publications including The Atlantic, The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Paris Review.

[3] Her first book, The Mercury 13, detailed the largely unknown story of thirteen American women pilots who were secretly tested to be astronauts in the early days of the US space program.

In 2007, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh awarded the Mercury 13 women honorary degrees and commended Ackmann for embodying "the ideas of social justice and equity in the public sphere.

Producer Samantha Barrie optioned Ackmann's book for the stage, playwright Lydia R. Diamond wrote Toni Stone, and Pam MacKinnon directed the Roundabout Theatre Company production.

Kirkus Reviews praised the book's "radiant prose, palpable descriptions, and deep empathy for the poet’s sensibility [that] make this biography extraordinary.

Presentations include talks at the Kennedy Space Center, Chicago's Adler Planetarium, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Roundabout Theatre, and New York's 92nd Street Y.