The documentary “Mercury 13” could be seen as a companion piece to the award-winning film, “Hidden Figures.” However, while “Hidden Figures” told the triumphant tale of the women behind the math and engineering aspects of NASA, ultimately to become integral to the space program in the ‘60s, “Mercury 13” looks to tell a similar story, but without the happy ending.
READ MORE: Jessica Chastain Goes To TV With ‘Mercury 13’
In the first trailer for “Mercury 13,” we are introduced to the women who underwent testing to become astronauts in 1961, for the Mercury space program. These 13 women were all just as skilled as their male counterparts, with some actually scoring higher than the men, but were, unfortunately, women. Therefore, their dreams were dashed, while they sat at home and watched the male astronauts, known as the Mercury 7, get all the glory.
But as seen in the documentary, directed by David Sington (“The Fear of 13”) and Heather Walsh, these women are finally getting their moment in the Sun. While it may be too late for these women to realize their dreams of going into space, they’ll finally get their due, and shine a light on an era of NASA that not many people knew about until now.
“Mercury 13” is set to premiere on Netflix on April 20.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Mercury 13 is a remarkable story of the women who were tested for spaceflight in 1961 before their dreams were dashed in being the first to make the trip beyond Earth. NASA’s ‘man in space’ program, dubbed ‘Project Mercury’ began in 1958. The men chosen – all military test pilots – became known as The Mercury 7. But away from the glare of the media, behind firmly closed doors, female pilots were also screened. Thirteen of them passed and, in some cases, performed better than the men. They were called the Mercury 13 and had the ‘right stuff’ but were, unfortunately, the wrong gender. Underneath the obsession of the space race that gripped America, the women were aviation pioneers who emerged thirsty for a new frontier, but whose time would have to wait. The film tells the definitive story of thirteen truly remarkable women who reached for the stars but were ahead of their time. A Netflix original documentary directed by David Sington (The Fear of 13) and Heather Walsh.