CNN Films’ “Apollo 11” explores the exhilaration of humanity’s first landing on the moon through newly discovered and restored archival footage. Watch Saturday, July 20, at 9 p.m. ET.
(CNN) —
Growing up, Holly Ridings, Anne McClain and Nujoud Merancy dreamed of space. But they didn’t let those dreams rest to become flights of childhood fancy. Now, all three women work at NASA.
McClain is an astronaut who just returned from a six-month stint on the International Space Station. Merancy is the Exploration Mission Planning and Analysis lead for the Orion spacecraft that will be part of the Artemis mission in 2024. And Ridings is the first female chief flight director.
And they’re all working toward the goal of landing the first woman on the moon by 2024.
Meet NASA's first female flight director
She's dreamt of being an astronaut since she was 3
Her work will send a crew to the moon and back
One giant leap for womankind: NASA women throughout history
PHOTO:
NASA
Mae Carol Jemison is an American engineer, physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. Credit: NASA
Now playing
This is how being a dancer makes you a better astronaut
lego nasa women orig _00001229.jpg
Now playing
NASA's 'Hidden Figures' transformed into Legos
Meet NASA's first female flight director
She's dreamt of being an astronaut since she was 3
Her work will send a crew to the moon and back
One giant leap for womankind: NASA women throughout history
PHOTO:
NASA
Mae Carol Jemison is an American engineer, physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. Credit: NASA
Now playing
This is how being a dancer makes you a better astronaut
lego nasa women orig _00001229.jpg
Now playing
NASA's 'Hidden Figures' transformed into Legos
Ridings remembers watching shuttle launches in her elementary school cafeteria, but her classmates didn’t seem interested. Then, the Challenger exploded, and she remembers thinking, “I want to make that better.” She couldn’t articulate this need at the time, but it became the backbone of her career: exploring and achieving the hard goals.
At the time, she didn’t think about it, but upon reflection, Ridings realized that many of her math and science teachers were female.
She pursued a degree in mechanical engineering and had mentors who had worked for NASA. It showed Ridings the balance of engineering with the human side of the space community. She learned how important it was to build a team that could work together seamlessly while incorporating different skill sets, and that leadership could unite them for successful missions.
See the moon landing as they did 50 years ago
Google unveils stunning tribute for Apollo 11 engineer
PHOTO:
NASA/Ames Research Center
Now playing
Rare NASA footage from 1969 shows search for lunar life
NASA astronaut captures stunning timelapse
Hear them sing 'Strolling on the moon' while on the moon
How space influenced decades of pop culture
PHOTO:
NASA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Members of the Kennedy Space Center control room team rise from their consoles to see the liftoff of the Apollo 11 mission 16 July 1969. AFP PHOTO/NASA (Photo by NASA / NASA / AFP) (Photo credit should read NASA/AFP/Getty Images)
Now playing
See Apollo Mission Control restored to look like it's 1969
PHOTO:
NASA
Mae Carol Jemison is an American engineer, physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. Credit: NASA
Now playing
This is how being a dancer makes you a better astronaut
Washington Monument lit up like Apollo mission rocket
Meet the first tourist going to the moon
These are the benefits of space exploration
This is what life on Mars could be like
These women are designing spacesuits of the future
NASA plans to return to the moon by 2024
PHOTO:
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announces Blue Moon, a lunar landing vehicle for the Moon, during a Blue Origin event in Washington, DC, May 9, 2019. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Now playing
Jeff Bezos unveils his big plans for the moon
In 2018, Ridings was announced as the first female chief flight director at NASA. She is responsible for all of the agency’s human spaceflight operations, including the International Space Station, commercial crew vehicle operations and upcoming launches. No two days are the same. She works with partners, meets with her team in Mission Control and makes sure the space agency is ready to confront the unknown and fly.