It was supposed to be a big deal - the first ever all-female space walk - a major step forward for women everywhere, and a highlight of Women's History Month.
American astronauts Ann McClain and Christina Koch were scheduled to go out and perform repairs on the space station last week, but the space walk was cancelled at the last minute because the station only had one space suit on board that was small enough for a woman. If you have ever tried to work wearing oversized gloves, then you can understand that this was a wise decision.
The question then becomes - if this mission was planned for months, why was there not a suit that was suitable for each of them?
There are currently 12 active female astronauts, and the latest class (2013) was 50% female, but smaller suits were discontinued in the 1990s. The space suits in use are old - of 18 original suits made in the 70s, 11 are still in use today. As astronaut Bonnie Dunbar said back in 2003, “I do not want to turn to a young girl who has all the talent in the world, becomes an extraordinary engineer, but isn't the right size, to tell her, ‘I’m sorry but our nation can't build a suit for you.’”
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