If anyone actually paid much attention to the U.S. space program, we'd say that the papers are all full of how there was a woman commanding the shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station at the same time, but no one really does anymore, so it's more like an article here and there. But, really, people, does it still truly qualify as news when women do something that men do (relatively) regularly?

It's not like we're talking about peeing standing up or fertilizing our own eggs here. The news story is literally that two highly intelligent, well-trained and (presumably) ambitious women got to the top of their mutually-chosen profession and happened to do so at nearly the same time. It's great that they've broken yet another glass ceiling, but why is it the biggest news out of the space program since the diaper-wearing stalker lady astronaut?

In what is surely completely unrelated news, because no government agency would do this sort of thing just to get public attention, NASA's funding for Fiscal Year 08 has yet to be passed (since Congress and the President are dancing around the appropriations bills) and some people are saying that it's not nearly enough money anyway.

Space Docking, With Women at the Helm [NY Times]
One Giant Leap For Womankind As Two Female Astronauts Link Up In Orbit For The First Time [Daily Mail]
Making Sperm, No Men Necessary [NPR]
Astronaut's star was on the rise at NASA [CNN]
More NASA budget reaction [Space Politics]
FY08 NASA Budget Request Insufficient For Space Exploration Program Say Republicans [Space Daily]

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