Nov 2, 2026 · 20 min · 10 segments
Hannah and Paris review Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 'Atmosphere', a romance set in 1980's NASA when women were finally being recruited for their astronaut program. The girls discuss queer astronaut romance…
Okay, so this book focuses on themes of love, identity, and feminism.
The book opens in the 1984 shuttle disaster that leaves Vanessa Ford, the only conscious astronaut on board.
In Mission Control, Joan Goodwin serves as the communicator, fighting to keep control while the crisis unfolds.
We then jump to seven years earlier, when Joan is an astronomy professor and applies to NASA.
when they begin recruiting women scientists.
Training exposes her to sexism and intense competition between the recruits, but she forms close bonds with Griff, Hank, Donna, and especially Vanessa.
They develop a secret romantic relationship, which, if found out, would end their careers at NASA.
A parallel storyline plays out at the same time about Joan's family.
Joan has helped raise her niece Frances since she was born, due to her sister Barbara's instability and, frankly, selfish personality.
Joan's recruitment to Nassau causes animosity between the sisters, and Joan eventually gains guardianship of Francis when Barbara abandons her in favour of her new husband.
The book ends back in 1984, where the reader now knows that Joan and Vanessa are deeply in love and trying to tell each other during the shuttle disaster.
There is every chance that the shuttle could crash so they openly say goodbye to each other while everyone in the control room can hear them.
Vanessa ultimately survives and the book finishes on this happy note, but the reader is left wondering what happens to their careers and if they can continue to be together and raise Francis.
Lovely.
Okay, so this book focuses on themes of love, identity, and feminism.
The book opens in the 1984 shuttle disaster that leaves Vanessa Ford, the only conscious astronaut on board.
In Mission Control, Joan Goodwin serves as the communicator, fighting to keep control while the crisis unfolds.
We then jump to seven years earlier, when Joan is an astronomy professor and applies to NASA.
when they begin recruiting women scientists.
Training exposes her to sexism and intense competition between the recruits, but she forms close bonds with Griff, Hank, Donna, and especially Vanessa.
They develop a secret romantic relationship, which, if found out, would end their careers at NASA.
A parallel storyline plays out at the same time about Joan's family.
Joan has helped raise her niece Frances since she was born, due to her sister Barbara's instability and, frankly, selfish personality.
Joan's recruitment to Nassau causes animosity between the sisters, and Joan eventually gains guardianship of Francis when Barbara abandons her in favour of her new husband.
The book ends back in 1984, where the reader now knows that Joan and Vanessa are deeply in love and trying to tell each other during the shuttle disaster.
There is every chance that the shuttle could crash so they openly say goodbye to each other while everyone in the control room can hear them.
Vanessa ultimately survives and the book finishes on this happy note, but the reader is left wondering what happens to their careers and if they can continue to be together and raise Francis.
Lovely.
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