First Woman: NASA's Promise for Humanity #1: Dream to Reality

First Woman: NASA's Promise for Humanity #1

by Brad Gann, Steven List, Brent Donoho (Illustrator)

First Woman tells the tale of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. While Callie is a fictional character, the first female astronaut and person of color will soon set foot on the Moon – a historic milestone and part of upcoming NASA missions. Through a series of graphic novels and digital platforms, First Woman aims to capture our attention and unite the next generation of explorers who will return to the Moon.

Issue #1: Dream to Reality follows Callie's trailblazing path as the first woman on the Moon. Callie and her robot sidekick, RT, overcome setbacks, disappointment, and tragedy along the way. From her childhood dreams of space travel to being selected as an astronaut candidate, Callie takes us on her journey to the Moon.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Space, Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

44 pages, ebook

Published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Claudia]

I really like the concept and the interactive part of it, which is very interesting and informative. I also enjoyed the illustrations, which are quite expressive and eloquent. However, the writing part I did not like - it sounded preachy and condescending to me, with a wooden and linear language.

Hopefully, the next issues will be better written, because the idea behind it is admirable. But don't let my opinion deter you, it's worth a try.

It can be read online, download in pdf, listen to on Soundcloud, or even download an app with it. All these can be found here: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/callief...

[Alina]

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel, cannot wait for the second issue.
Also listening while reading totally enriched my experience. You can find the audio on NASA's site and on Soundcloud .

[Rod Brown]

Callie Rodriguez is an astronaut working at a base on the Moon. She's also the inventor of an annoying robotic sidekick that hangs around her making stupid jokes while Callie tells her life story to a fellow astronaut during a lunar expedition.

This fictional story was produced by NASA in an attempt to show girls that they too could aspire to become astronauts. But how about comic book writers? Maybe if some women had aspired to that this story wouldn't be so generic and dull?

Oh well, I didn't pick this up for the quality of the story anyway. I'm here for the politics.

Having produced and promoted this book, NASA had to remove it from its website because the Trump administration hates diversity. No politician gets to tell me what I can't read. And they can't stop me from pointing out to everybody else that this public domain work is available to read for free at the Internet Archive.

[Jimena Sansil]

Had to read for class, it was fine. I didn't like the end

[kerttu]

I like the drawings and the concept, was very quick and fun read!

[Liz Murphy]

For such a short issue, it definitely packed a punch! Some parts were really inspiring, other parts almost made me cry. And RT is hilarious! I love his movie announcer voice
I definitely want more of the story. Will Callie get down before the radiation hits? Will RT start liking Dan? Ahh! I'm not patient 😂

[Kate]

While short in length, this beautifully illustrated and exceptionally engaging book is great in impact. Though I haven't gotten to explore all of its interactive features, I note its incredible art style that makes readers say "wow!" and "awwww!" It's also full of incredible characters with perfectly imperfect personalities - Dan's trustworthiness, Callie's fierce determination and independence, and RT's movie announcer voice and somehow endearing sarcasm. Plus, Callie has gone through so much that people have to deal with, which makes the story relatable and gives it hopeful and triumphant notes. Overall, First Woman makes me look forward to hearing the stories of the real Artemis astronauts, and the cliffhanger at the end makes it hard to wait for the next issue. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are interested in space travel or enjoy other comics.

Learn all about First Woman and read it online for free here: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/callief...

[Saray Solís]

Recomendada para aquellos amantes del espacio. Contiene una guía interactiva a través de la lectura de códigos QR, que te enseña más sobre cómo funcionan las cosas en el espacio o en una misión espacial, por ejemplo, cómo cultivar plantas, cómo perforar la Luna, etc. Sin embargo, a mí no me funcionaron, ya que todos los links que te dirigía a la página de la NASA, me aparecían como inexistentes, espero que se vuelvan a habilitar pronto. :(

Aun así, la lectura fue muy entretenida y ahora leeré el segundo tomo.

Libro leído para la categoría 5 del reto Pop Sugar 2025: A book about women astronauts.

[Carissa Hill]

I loved this graphic novel and while the protagonist, Callie is fictional, NASA recognizes women trailblazers in space and celebrates the first female astronaut and POC soon setting foot on the Moon. Best part of the book is the frequent inclusion of QR codes linking photos and astronaut requirements for instance on NASA’s website and even scannable images for the First Woman app. Very cool! Great cliffhanger ending, can’t wait for more volumes.

[Teresa]

I received this comic at a STEM expo.

Produced by NASA, this work of fiction reflects the very real journey people take to achieve their dreams. it has QR codes throughout for an interactive, educational experience about space using video, augmented reality, and articles, to name a few.

[Chamaeleon]

Read it here for free: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/callief...

Nice comic with a story about girls/women in STEM and a cute robotic friend.
Looking forward to the next part of the story.

[Viktor]

Ein schneller Read, aber wunderschön gemacht. Eine tolle Geschichte kombiniert mit atemberaubenden Zeichnungen. Großes Lob an die NASA

und damn dieser Cliffhanger.. :D

[Haven]

my space loving heart is so happy - such a fun and cute read 🥹🪐💥🌎

[Molly]

Very cute! I got this at a tech conference.

[Becky]

Rescued from deletion off the NASA website by the Iceland Space Agency. It's sweet.

[Lena C. Matias]

Very easy to read, with an interesting concept and a very funny robot

[Pumpkin Spice Retrograde]

Would probably be more appealing to kids.

[Erin Steffens]

This is the first graphic novel I’ve attempted to read in Spanish and I thought it was pretty good practice and a charming story

[Vijaya]

So glad I swung by the NASA booth at New York Comic Con and picked this gem up. ❤️