Historic spacewalk: Two female astronauts make history
NASA and ESA astronauts conducted a rare all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
1Historic moment
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and French astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted a rare all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station. This marks the sixth time in history that two women have performed a spacewalk together. Meir used the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to reach worksites, while Adenot remained tethered to the station.
2Experienced team
Jessica Meir made history in 2019 when she and NASA astronaut Christina Koch completed the first all-female spacewalk. Sophie Adenot serves as the European Space Agency's (ESA) second female astronaut. The duo spent 6.5 hours performing maintenance and upgrade tasks on the station during this spacewalk.
3Space station statistics
This spacewalk was the 284th in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades. It also marked the seventh spacewalk of 2023. Since the station began operations in 1998, there have been over 250 spacewalks conducted. The ISS has hosted astronauts from 19 different countries to date.
4History of women in space
The first female spacewalk was conducted by Svetlana Savitskaya in 1984. NASA had planned an all-female spacewalk in 2013 but canceled it due to lack of properly sized spacesuits. Since the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, such missions are becoming more common. Women now represent about 34% of NASA's active astronaut corps.
5Role of Canadarm2
During the spacewalk, Jessica Meir operated the station's Canadian-built Canadarm2 robotic arm. This 17-meter-long arm plays a critical role in astronauts' external work. In service since 2001, the arm can carry loads up to 116,000 kg and move with millimeter precision. It has been instrumental in station assembly and maintenance.
6Mission technical details
During the spacewalk, astronauts performed maintenance on the station's solar array connections and installed new equipment. The spacesuits can withstand temperatures between -125°C and +120°C and provide 8 hours of oxygen. Each suit costs approximately $12 million to build. Astronauts train for years to prepare for such missions.
7International cooperation
This mission highlights the strong collaboration between NASA and ESA. The International Space Station is a joint project involving 15 countries. Since 1998, over 240 people have visited the station. Orbiting 400 km above Earth at 28,000 km/h, the ISS represents one of humanity's greatest engineering achievements.
8Future of women in space
This historic spacewalk marks a significant milestone for gender equality in space exploration. NASA's Artemis program plans to land the first woman on the Moon by 2025. Space agencies worldwide are actively working to increase female astronaut representation. Currently, women account for about 34% of NASA's active astronauts.
Original article: BBC News — Tarihi uzay yürüyüşü: İki kadın astronot