One Giant Leap for Womankind

19/10/2019

On October 18, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch, performed the first all-woman spacewalk. This was the fourth spacewalk for Christina Koch and the first for Jessica Meir. But they almost didn't get there together!

"It doesn't seem to come in my size" are words that will resonate with many frustrated female apparel shoppers around the globe. While this issue often causes annoyance, it is rarely earth shattering. However, for Koch and Meir, the lack of size 'medium' on the space suit rack could have prevented them from being the first all-female team to walk - or technically 'float' - in space last Friday.

The all female walk was originally scheduled to take place more than six months ago (with Koch and astronaut Anne McClain) but had to be delayed as NASA did not have enough medium sized suits at the International Space Station. However, Kirk Shireman, the program manager for the International Space Station, told the media last week that "it turns out that over the next couple of years we're having lots of medium-suit people fly, and so that's the sweet spot." It looks like Koch and Meir will be the first of many women spacewalking teams. Congratulations to them both.

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