NASA preparing for first all-female space walk
- 5 years ago
BAIKONUR, KAZAKHSTAN — On March 29 NASA will conduct the first all-female spacewalk in history, reports Interesting Engineering. What a perfect way to end Women's History Month!
Christina Koch and Anne McClain will be part of Expedition 59, which will also be supported on the ground by a team of women, with Mary Lawrence and Kristen Facciol serving as lead flight director and lead spacewalk flight controller.
Women make up less than 11 percent of over 500 people who have been to space. Before this spacewalk, expedition teams had always been all-male or mixed.
NASA calls spacewalks EVA's which stands for extravehicular activity. Spacewalks are conducted mainly for maintenance, conducting experiments or testing new equipment.
McClain and Koch were both selected by NASA in 2013 and each was one of 6,100 applicants. Their class was the first in NASA history that had an equal number of male and female candidates.
McClain is a major in the U.S. Army and a pilot and Koch is an electrical engineer who has worked on expeditions in the South Pole and the Arctic. Can you imagine what their resumes look like?
The expedition will be a first for both women. McClain is already aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 58 but this will be her first spacewalk. For Koch, it will be her first spaceflight.
And for all women on Earth, this is a giant leap for womankind.
Christina Koch and Anne McClain will be part of Expedition 59, which will also be supported on the ground by a team of women, with Mary Lawrence and Kristen Facciol serving as lead flight director and lead spacewalk flight controller.
Women make up less than 11 percent of over 500 people who have been to space. Before this spacewalk, expedition teams had always been all-male or mixed.
NASA calls spacewalks EVA's which stands for extravehicular activity. Spacewalks are conducted mainly for maintenance, conducting experiments or testing new equipment.
McClain and Koch were both selected by NASA in 2013 and each was one of 6,100 applicants. Their class was the first in NASA history that had an equal number of male and female candidates.
McClain is a major in the U.S. Army and a pilot and Koch is an electrical engineer who has worked on expeditions in the South Pole and the Arctic. Can you imagine what their resumes look like?
The expedition will be a first for both women. McClain is already aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 58 but this will be her first spacewalk. For Koch, it will be her first spaceflight.
And for all women on Earth, this is a giant leap for womankind.