NASA's First All-Female Spacewalk Takes Place Today

October 18, 2019

October 18, 2019: The first all-female spacewalk in NASA's 61-year history is finally happening and will even take place a few days ahead of schedule. Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, who were initially supposed to venture beyond the International Space Station on Oct. 21, are making their historic excursion today.

Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to complete a spacewalk, in October 1984, and there have been 220 spacewalks at the International Space Station since December 1998. But according to NASA, only 14 have participated in spacewalks, and all were accompanied by men. This record-breaking spacewalk will be Koch's fourth and Meir's first.

Read more: NASA's First All-Female Spacewalk Set For Friday (npr.org)

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