Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut to fly in space.
Credit: Alan C.
Heison/Shutterstock
President Donald Trump signed into law two bills that aim to encourage women to pursue careers in science and technology.
The bills — "Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act" and "Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act" — were both introduced by women in Congress.
The INSPIRE Women Act, introduced by Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., authorizes the head of NASA, currently Acting Administrator Robert M. Lightfoot Jr., to support initiatives that will "encourage women and girls to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to pursue careers that will further advance America's space science and exploration efforts," according to a White House statement yesterday (Feb. 28). One such initiative, NASA Boys and NASA Girls, uses video chat programs to pair NASA mentors with young students across the country, according to the INSPIRE bill. https://www.livescience.com/58066-president-trump-supports-women-in-science.html
