NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers successfully completed the fifth all-female spacewalk on Thursday, six years after McClain was initially set to participate due to a spacesuit sizing issue.
McClain, an Army colonel and helicopter pilot, joined Ayers, an Air Force major and former fighter pilot, outside the International Space Station for nearly six hours. The duo prepared the station for new solar panels and moved an antenna on the 260-mile-high complex.
Their spacewalk was delayed briefly due to a minor issue with McClain’s glove, but they made up for lost time by completing their tasks ahead of schedule. Upon returning inside, they were welcomed back by Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi.
This milestone marks the latest in NASA’s efforts to increase diversity among its astronauts. The agency has 20 female astronauts out of 47 active personnel, with McClain and Ayers being part of a group that is slowly changing the landscape of space exploration.
The success of all-female spacewalks paves the way for future missions, including NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send the first woman to the moon. Christina Koch will soon become the first woman to fly to the lunar surface under this program.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nasa-astronauts-all-female-spacewalk-d2dfe696bfaaef8bae8de27cd846355a