Women's first outing completely canceled due to lack of medium-size combinations – Quartz



[ad_1]

NASA's plan to do a bit of space history with the first release in the space reserved for women has run into a problem: the space suit of the right size is not ready.

Astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch were to continue installing new lithium-ion batteries for the solar energy system of the International Space Station on March 29. Work began on March 22 when McClain and another astronaut, Nick Hague, spent nearly seven hours of freefall outside the station.

"McClain learned during his first spacewalk that a medium-sized rigid torso – essentially the shirt of the space suit – suited him best," NASA said in a press release announcing that Hague and Koch would take care of the next stage of the task. "Because only one medium-sized torso can be prepared by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it."

The mission had originally planned for Koch, a former US Army aviator, to wear a large torso for his spacewalk with McClain, an aerospace engineer.

The ISS has only one upper torso of medium size, prepared for extra-vehicular activity (EVA), the other serving as a reserve. A spokesman for NASA told Quartz that the station had two large torso and a very large torso ready, as well as a very large spare torso. No spare parts can be configured in time for the expected EVA in four days.

"We are doing our best to anticipate the size of the space suit that each astronaut will need, depending on the size of the suit he has worn during the training and, in some cases, the Training in several sizes, "said Quartz, in an email, the spokesman for NASA. "However, the size needs of individuals can change when they are in orbit, in response to changes that microgravity can cause in the body. In addition, no training environment can fully simulate a microgravity spacewalk, and a person may find that his or her sizing preferences change in the space. "

Working in a spacesuit is one of the most demanding tasks of an astronaut. Although they are in free fall, moving the arms and hands inside the suit forces them to exert pressure on the pressurized internal atmosphere that keeps them alive and on the protective glove. the combination itself. A poorly fitting combination would probably seem to add unnecessary difficulty to a risky activity. Already, astronauts working teams of several hours lose track of the tools that fall into space.

The lack of size options for the space suit reflects the composition of NASA's astronauts: the most recent class was composed of seven men and five women, but only 12 of the 38 currently active astronauts are women. The female astronauts have always been important participants in EVA: Susan Helms shares the record for the longest duration, spending nearly nine hours outside the airlock; Peggy Whitson made 10 trips, for more than 60 cumulative hours in freefall.

An exit in the space reserved for women will have to wait, but McClain must return to the airlock on April 8 alongside Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques.

[ad_2]

Source link