In her role as communications officer Lt. Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek television series and feature films, Nichelle Nichols was a pioneer of sorts for women in space - at least fictionally.

Sally Ride, who died this week of pancreatic cancer, was the real deal as the first US woman in space. It was not widely known until her death that she was a lesbian who is survived by her female partner of 27 years.