Reach Across The Stars play online

Women are featured in short stories (one to two minutes) and longer journeys (five to eight minutes). Some of the women in the stories of this new app include computer scientist Grace Hopper, astronomer Nancy Roman, mathematician Katherine Johnson, physicist and chemist Marie Curie and astronauts Mae Jemison and Sally Ride.

In the apps journeys, a current scientist takes viewers into her work environment, recalling her favorite career moments as well as challenges and obstacles. Some of the feature stories combine audio interviews, video, 3D environments and 360-degree virtual reality content to let viewers peek into the worlds of these scientific heroes.

A user can explore NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory astronaut Cady Coleman, tour the Crab Nebula pulsar with astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Mars 2020 rover with Christina Hernandez, an instrument engineer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The project received support from the Smithsonian American Womens History Initiative, Because of Her Story. Launched in 2018, Because of Her Story is one of the countrys most ambitious undertakings to research, collect, document, display and share the compelling story of women.

Support also comes from Chandra. The Chandra X-ray Observatory, one of NASAs Great Observatories, has a special connection to the Smithsonian as its science and operations center is at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Massachusetts. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra X-ray Center on behalf of NASA.