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 Artemis missions. Through a series of graphic novels and digital platforms (in English and Spanish), First Woman aims to capture and inspire 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 students on her journey.
Issue 2 (coming soon) picks up where the story in Issue 1 left off, with Callie and RT on the Moon. Students will find out how Callie and her robot pal get themselves out of trouble. They will learn more about Callie’s experiences that landed her on the lunar surface and see what discoveries—and challenges—lay ahead for her and her fellow astronauts.
First Woman graphic novels are extended-reality (XR) enabled. Using the free app for iOS or Android devices, students can follow Callie’s footsteps through immersive virtual environments and see the NASA technologies that make it possible for Callie—and real-life astronauts—to live on the Moon. They will explore the lunar surface through four life-sized environments. They will interact with 3D models of real NASA technology and go behind the scenes with RT to see the latest innovations in space exploration. And they will complete challenges to become First Woman Mission Specialists.
Plus: A set of hands-on activities accompanies the First Woman graphic novel series. Intended for use in K–12 informal educational settings, such as afterschool programs, STEM nights, and weekend workshops, the First Woman Camp Experience Guide will bring the excitement of NASA’s science and technology to young people.