Nasa/Trek: Popular Science and Sex in America

In many ways this is a very unusual book by Constance Penley (Professor of Film Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara), but one that offers a fascinating feminist analysis of NASA, spaceflight, and the culture of science fiction. Penley describes first what can only be called a love triangle between the American public, NASA, and "Star Trek." She finds it an essential element of American society from the 1960s to the present, and despite betrayals and sometimes rocky straits this relationship has endured. Penley analyses this love triangle in what is essentially a two step process. The first section (pp. 11-96) involves an exploration of the place of women in the institutional setting of NASA and the human spaceflight endeavor that it has managed throughout its history. Most close observers would probably agree with Penley that NASA's approach to women in space has been strained from the beginning. For the longest time its leaders resisted incorporating women into the astronaut corps, reflecting both the larger mores of society and the "boys with their toys" attitudes of engineering and machineshops. Finally, the agency selected several women as astronauts in 1978, among them Sally Ride and Judith Resnick. Ride finally broke down that barrier in 1983 by flying on the Space Shuttle in STS-7, 24 years after the creation of NASA. Other women went on to fly on the shuttle, including the teacher Christa McAuliffe who died in the Challenger accident in January 1986. Penley expends considerable effort unpacking the relationship of NASA to the general public in this story. She finds that NASA is not so much a chauvinistic organization as it is a reflection of the deep ambivalence of society toward women and technology. She notes that this is present in NASA, in the military, and even in such daily activities as automobile purchasing and servicing. She points to the efforts of the women astronauts to fit into the larger NASA culture and to be one of the team. Judith Resnick, who also died on Challenger in 1986, typically said: "I am an astronaut. Not a woman astronaut. Not a Jewish astronaut. An astronaut" (p. 29). This attempt to fit in, to colonize the male domain of spaceflight, presents Penley with a remarkable opportunity to discuss the manner in which American culture intrudes on the supposedly cold logic of technological decisions. The second part of the book (pp. 97-145) discusses the role of "Star Trek" in American society, with some analysis of how the popular television show was also related to NASA and its efforts. Penley especially delves into the trekker culture of K/S "slash" novels, erotic literature in which Kirk and Spock have an ongoing romantic involvement. Engaging in this, as well as a range of other fan behavior, allows participants to appropriate the crew "family" aboard the Star Ship Enterprise, the ideals of the United Federation of Planets, and the challenges of moving beyond the humdrum of existence on Earth to

This book is an excellent critical look at the intersections between popular science, sexuality, and Star Trek. The first section looks at the dialogic interaction between the fiction of Star Trek and the reality of NASA. It is fascinating both for those interested in the history of women in the US space program and for Trekkers, giving little known facts about NASA and providing insightful, well-written analysis. The second half of the book analyzes slash fan fiction, using actual stories and images to explore how and why women express their own utopian longings through the sexual relationship of Kirk and Spock. Penley's book is thouroughly researched, clearly presented, and well-written throughout.