The first all-female spacewalk is happening this month
Women’s History Month is being celebrated even in space!
The first all-female spacewalk is scheduled to occur at the International Space Station (ISS) on March 29. Not only are the two astronauts female, but the ground control (Kristen Facciol), lead flight director (Mary Lawrence), and lead EVA (extravehicular activity) flight controller (Jackie Kagey) are all female.
Anne McClain and Christina Koch are the two astronauts who will be conducting the seven-hour spacewalk.
Army pilot Anne McClain is from Washington, and holds degrees in mechanical/aeronautical engineering, aerospace engineering, and international relations. She is currently aboard the ISS with the crew of Expedition 58 and 59.
Engineer Christina Koch is from North Carolina, and has earned degrees in electrical engineering and physics. She will be flying to the ISS on March 14, to be part of the Expedition 59 and 60 crew.
Spacewalks serve many purposes, including fixing or adjusting things on the outside of the spacecraft, testing new equipment, and conducting science experiments. We congratulate Anne and Christina on this historic event!
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