Our purpose here at Women in Defence Careers is to show women that they have just as many opportunities to be involved in the defence industry as anyone else. We share information on job searching, building professional skills, and other helpful info with an aim to inspire those interested in making a change to take the first steps into a new career in a vibrant and innovative industry.
Looking Back to Move Forward: Celebrating Historical Figures
However, we absolutely realise that sometimes helpful information isn’t quite enough. Sometimes, motivation needs to come in the form of something less formal, but more…inspirational. With this in mind, we are starting up a series focusing on just that. Rather than looking at the inspiring women who currently head up a lot of the defence industry, we thought we would look to the past. Inspiring women in the defence industry throughout history.
In this first blog, we are going to look at a trailblazer in the aerospace industry – Judith Love Cohen.
Judith Love Cohen: A Pioneering Spirit in Aerospace
Normally, when you think of the early-ish days of NASA and aerospace, you think perhaps of people who are male, wearing spectacles, slick-overed hair and suits. You wouldn’t perhaps think of women at all. But this is absolutely not the case.
Many women are chronicled in NASA’s history, and we really encourage you to take a look at all of them, but for this blog we are looking at Cohen specifically. Cohen had a childhood where her ability in maths was immense. Often the only girl in her maths classes, her drive and ability turned her to studying maths at college in the US on a scholarship, eventually moving to California and continuing her studies in engineering.
A Legacy in Aerospace and Missile System Engineering
Working at Space Technology Laboratories – later acquired by what is now Northrop Grumman – she developed the Abort Guidance system – or AGS – in the Apollo Lunar Module. The AGS played an important role in the safe return of Apollo 13 after an oxygen tank explosion left the Service Module crippled and forced the astronauts to use the Lunar Module as a “lifeboat.” Supplies of electrical power and water on the LM were limited and the Primary Guidance and Navigation System used too much water for cooling. As a result, after a major LM descent engine burn two hours past its closest approach to the Moon to shorten the trip home, the AGS was used for most of the return, including two mid-course corrections.
Until her retirement from Northrop Grumman in 1990, Cohen continued to work on complex engineering problems of various types, including guidance computers on missile systems.
Inspiring the Next Generation: Judith’s Publishing Endeavor
After her retirement from engineering, Cohen went on to found a publishing company that published a series of books that were all called: “You Can Be A Woman …”, with various jobs such as Engineer, Zoologist, Architect, Chemist, and Cardiologist – to name a few. Absolutely our kind of person!
Beyond Engineering: Exploring Diverse Careers in Defence
Inspired? Well we are too. What is important to remember, though, is that there are literally hundreds of other types of jobs within the defence space, not purely engineering. The variation is staggering, and every one of them is a new door to a new industry and new experiences for you. It’s not about your previous experience in defence or whether you came from a military background – as we can see here. Defence is open to everyone and anyone looking to make a difference.
Nominate Your Inspirational Women in Defence
Know any other amazing and influential women in defence? Whether engineers or communicators, we want to know who you’d like to see! Let us know, and we will take a look at getting them into our series in the run up to International Women’s Day and beyond!
