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By Eun Kyung Kim
NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station rejected claims that the aborted plan of the first exit in the fully female space was anything but a logistical issue.
Anne McClain was due to make an exit in space last Friday with her colleague astronaut Christina Koch. After returning from a previous mission, she realized that there would be a problem with the size of the spacesuit. That's when she suggested NASA swap her seat with fellow American astronaut Nick Hague.
"It was actually based on my recommendation," she told TODAY during a live interview Monday with fellow NASA astronauts aboard the ISS.
"We are always looking for ways to make our team and our workflow as efficient as possible," McClain said.
Both women needed a medium-sized upper torso or scuba shirt. But a single space station was small enough to suit both women, which prompted the removal of planning for the first outing in the all-female space.
The cancellation sparked a lot of enthusiasm around the world, and even former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton played her part.
The controversy soared over the weekend to the peaks of "Saturday Night Live", during which Aidy Bryant played McClain in a skit that mocked the size problem. Bryant noted that NASA could set up combinations for monkeys and dogs, but could not offer enough clothing for two women.
Hague said that the entire team had watched the clip, which provided an indispensable lightness.
"It was hilarious, it made us cry, it was great," he told TODAY.
McClain added, "It was the laughter we needed here yesterday."
Koch continued the mission Friday as planned, but with The Hague, and the pair installed lithium-ion batteries on the solar panel of the ISS.
"It has cut my breath," she said TODAY. "Floating over the Earth without anything between you and the Earth 250 km below you, with the exception of your own spaceship known as your spacesuit, is a pretty incredible thing to accomplish. "
Koch stated that anyone who has attended a spacewalk on the web will find that astronauts are constantly adjusting their suit.
"The space suit is bulky, no matter what your size, and it's a very small work envelope right in front of you," she said.
"We are constantly repositioning ourselves to be able to do the work with the tools and fasteners that were in front of us, it's very important to have a good fit, and we're lucky to be able to all go and push through these challenges ".
NASA said McClain had attended a training in medium and large suits, but she discovered on her first outing in space that one way best suited her.
In the past, spacewalks were mostly conducted by male astronauts, with the help of female crew members. These operations, which last for many hours, usually involve repairs and upgrades outside the space station.
The two women have always made history. They became the 13th and 14th women to have ever finished an outing in space.
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