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France A. Córdova is known for her work as the first woman, Latina, and youngest chief scientist at NASA. When she was younger, she had very little access to science.[1] She was discouraged from learning science at all.[1] After graduating at the top of her high school, she was named one of the ten outstanding youths in California by the California Chamber of Commerce.[1] In 1979, she decided she wanted to become an astrophysicist and obtained a Ph.D at the California Institute of Technology.[1][2] At Caltech, she focused on double-star systems.[1] She accepted an offer from Penn State to become a professor in the department of astrology.[1] She continued her astrology research for 4 years.[1] In 1993, she was asked to leave her current work to be at NASA as a chief scientist.[1][2]
France A. Córdova has many achievements working as an astrophysicist. France A. Cordova has published more than 150 scientific papers.[2] Her multispectral research on X-ray and gamma-ray sources and spaceborne instrumentation has made her an internationally recognized astrophysicist.[2] She has served in prominent leadership roles.[2] Prominent means important. Additionally, she discovered a double-star system.[1] A double-star system is a pair of stars that circle each other. It’s like two dancers holding hands and spinning around their center