Rejection Letter Surfaces That NASA Had Sent To Woman Astronaut Hopeful

Back in 1962, one of the qualifications for becoming an astronaut was apparently a "Y" chromosome.

A letter that was sent to an astronaut hopeful identified only as "Miss Kelly" has recently surfaced on the online site Reddit. The Blaze relays a report from Yahoo! Shine that the letter was sent to the woman who was associated with the University of Connecticut.

The entire text of the letter reads:

“Your offer to go on a space mission is commendable and we are very grateful.

This is to advise that we have no existing program concerning women astronauts nor do we contemplate any such plan.

We appreciate your interest and support of the nation's space program."

The letter is signed by O.B. Lloyd Jr., who lists his title as "Director, Public Information."

A NASA spokesperson told Yahoo! Shine that, while it is difficult to be sure the letter is real, it does reflect the agency's policy towards women in 1962, and that Lloyd did indeed hold that position in that year.

It wasn't until 21 years later that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.

FMI: Letter on Reddit