Melinda French Gates’ NASA connection: How her aerospace engineer father, Apollo missions and women in STEM shaped her journey in tech and philanthropy

Melinda French Gates’ childhood was shaped by her father Raymond Joseph French Jr.’s aerospace career during the NASA Apollo era. Her father, Raymond Joseph French Jr., was an aerospace engineer whose career included work connected to NASA's Apollo programme. From watching Apollo launches to meeting women engineers and mathematicians at company gatherings, these early experiences helped shape her interest in technology, education and women’s opportunities.