Remember Rosie the Riveter? Meet Rosie the Rocketeer

Rachael Joy | FLORIDA TODAY

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Iconic WWII character, Rosie the Riveter, is rolling up her sleeves to join the national effort again but this time it’s to help Boeing's campaign to launch American astronauts from U.S. soil to the International Space Station.

Leanne Caret, president of Boeing's Defense, Space & Security division, has named the anthropometric test dummy that will fly aboard Starliner’s first orbital flight test after the famous assembly line worker.

“Rosie is a symbol of not only the women who are blazing a trail in human spaceflight history, but also of everyone who has shown grit and determination while working tirelessly to ensure the Starliner can transport astronauts safely to and from the International Space Station,” Caret said.

“She’s flying for everyone on our team who took on the challenge of human spaceflight and said, ‘We can do it.’”

Rosie has come a long way from riveting. Now she’s headed to space in the commander's seat of Starliner decked out in hundreds of high-tech sensors that will measure G-forces during launch and landing and other critical data in an orbital test flight.

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The Starliner capsule Rosie will fly in was expected to roll out early this morning to be mated with the Atlas V rocket that will propel it to orbit.

The test flight is an important step forward toward Starliner's first crewed flight, now scheduled for sometime in 2020.

That flight will be piloted by real life astronaut Nicole Mann, who will be the first female to pilot a brand new spacecraft.

Boeing has a long history of employing women, starting with the first seamstress hired when the company started in 1916. She happened to also be a Rosie — Rosie Farrar — and she stitched together linen wings for the early Boeing B&W seaplanes.

Later as World War II escalated, Boeing, like many companies, faced an employment crisis as men left for military service. To keep their legendary B-17 Flying Fortress bombers rolling out the doors on schedule, Boeing turned to a pool of untapped female talent. At the height of the war, women made up nearly half of the workforce and turned out 12 bombers a day.

Video: Boeing Starliner at Kennedy Space Center nears test launch Work continues at Kennedy Space Center on Boeing Starliner capsule that will carry a mannequin wearing a spacesuit on an upcoming test flight

Today the halls of Boeing’s factories are filled with female personnel. Melanie Weber is a design engineer and is very interested in the data Rosie returns. It’s part of Melanie’s job to make sure the astronauts are comfortable and safe in the capsule.

Boeing rolls out Starliner ahead of its trip to International Space Station Boeing rolls out the Starliner Nov. 21, 2019, in preparation for its launch to the International Space Station.

She helped design the seats that must be able to fit both female and male astronauts who range from the 5th percentile in stature to the 95th percentile in stature.

"Designing a seat that can accommodate all anthropometric ranges was probably one of the biggest challenges I ever had. Thankfully, we managed to get through it," Weber said. "We're looking forward to flying for the first time to see how it goes."

Boeing launches Starliner on pad abort test in New Mexico Boeing's Starliner capsule takes off on a pad abort test on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019 in New Mexico. The test simulated an emergency escape

That critical first flight is only weeks away and preparation is underway now.

The orbital test flight is currently scheduled for Dec. 17 from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It is a major next step in advancing NASA’s Commercial Crew program.

Contact Rachael Joy at 321-408-0945 and rjoy@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @Rachael_Joy.

More: An original Rosie the Riveter dies at 93

And: Women's March inspires Rosie the Riveter book for young readers

Boeing Starliner spacesuit: Lighter, zippable helmet, touchscreen gloves The suit to be worn by astronauts inside Boeing's Starliner capsule were fitted to a sensored mannequin that will be used in an upcoming test flight