Editor's Note: Cady Coleman, Ph.D. is a NASA astronaut – a veteran of two space missions, who has logged over 500 hours in space. She is assigned to the Expedition 26 crew and is scheduled to fly to the International Space Station aboard the Russian Soyuz 25 in late 2010. This is part of our year-long American Morning original series, "Counting Down Cady."
(CNN) – Cady Coleman was 18 when six women made history and helped make her future possible. They were part of the astronaut class of 1978. Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, was one of them.
Today, for our continuing original series "Counting Down Cady," our John Zarrella takes a look at the bond shared by female astronauts.