Spacewalk Conducted by NASA's Female Astronauts, Marking the Fifth All-Women Extravehicular Activity
Astronaut Anne McClain, Missing out in 2019, Finally Simultaneously Floats with Nichole Ayers on all-female Spacewalk Six Years Later
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After missing out on the first all-female spacewalk back in 2019 due to a spacesuit sizing issue, NASA's Anne McClain finally got her chance to take part in this historic event on Thursday, alongside fellow astronaut Nichole Ayers.
Two military officers and pilots, the duo launched to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) in March, replacing the two NASA astronauts who found themselves stuck back on Earth.
Just moments before emerging, McClain spotted some stray strands of string on her right glove's index finger, prompting a quick delay in the start of the spacewalk to ensure her glove's safety.
For just under six hours, the spacewalkers worked outside the ISS, prepping it for additional solar panels and moving an antenna on the 260-mile (420 km) high complex. Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi warmly welcomed them back on board.
"We're thrilled to have you back, and your supper's ready, so don't sweat it," Onishi said.
The space station needed to be boosted into a slightly higher orbit the previous evening to dodge some space debris—a 20-year-old Chinese rocket fragment.
McClain, an Army colonel and helicopter pilot, initially should have participated in the 2019 all-female spacewalk, but the ISS lacked enough medium-sized suits to accommodate her. The first women-only spacewalk was conducted by Christina Koch and Jessica Meir instead. This latest endeavor marked the fifth all-female spacewalk in 60 years of spacewalking history.
Koch is slated to make history again as the first woman to fly to the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program next year, alongside three male astronauts. Men may still outnumber women in NASA's astronaut corps, but the organization has 20 female astronauts out of its 47 active members. Of the seven astronauts residing at the space station, McClain and Ayers are the only women, making this the first spacewalk for Ayers, an Air Force major and former fighter pilot, and the third for McClain.
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