United States female astronaut Anne McClain has left with no other choice, but to give up her seat to a male colleague for the scheduled fly up in the sky, as US agency NASA canceled the first all-female spacewalk due to lack of a spacesuit in the right size.
Anne McClain and Christina Kock were due to set history for women floating around in space, when NASA announced to have its first all-female spacewalk at the end of the month.
But McClain will now surrender her seat on the mission to a male colleague Nick Hague.
“The two @NASA_Astronauts who will venture outside of the @Space_Station for Friday’s spacewalk are Nick Hague (@AstroHague) & Christina Koch (@Astro_Christina),” NASA confirmed in a tweet Tuesday.
The two @NASA_Astronauts who will venture outside of the @Space_Station for Friday’s spacewalk are Nick Hague (@AstroHague) & Christina Koch (@Astro_Christina). Find out more details about updated spacewalk assignments: https://t.co/SA57MnE5dY pic.twitter.com/ApEs4YfpHJ
— NASA (@NASA) March 25, 2019
It’s the facilities that disappoints McClain, making her wait for next possible round.
“Mission managers decided to adjust the assignments, due in part to spacesuit availability on the station,” NASA said in a statement, as VOA quoted.
“McClain learned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso — essentially the shirt of the spacesuit — fits her best. Because only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it,” VOA quoted.
NASA has come a long way since 1978, when the first six women joined NASA’s astronaut corps. Women, today, comprise 34% of active NASA astronauts, according to the agency.
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