Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers Lead Historic NASA All-Women Spacewalk

NASA astronaut Anne McClain, who missed the initial all-female spacewalk due to a spacesuit fit issue, finally completed her much-anticipated mission on Thursday.She was joined by fellow astronaut Nichole Ayers as the two exited the International Space Station (ISS) for a scheduled spacewalk. Both women, honored military officers and certified pilots, arrived at the ISS in March, replacing two astronauts who returned to Earth early. The spacewalk marked McClain's third and Ayers' first.advertisementAccording to the Associated Press, McClain reported a loose string on her right glove's index finger. Mission Control briefly paused the operation to inspect the issue and later confirmed the glove was safe, allowing the astronauts to proceed.
The pair carried out tasks including the installation of new solar arrays and repositioning an antenna — all part of ongoing upgrades to the ISS's power systems.Thursday's excursion marked only the fifth all-female spacewalk in the 60-year history of extravehicular activity (EVA). Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in NASA's astronaut corps, with just 20 women out of 47 active astronauts.Before the spacewalk, the ISS was slightly elevated in orbit to avoid space debris from a 20-year-old Chinese rocket.Christina Koch, a pioneer of the initial all-female spacewalk, is now scheduled to make history as the first woman to fly around the moon as part of the NASA Artemis mission in 2025. She will join three male crewmates on the historic lunar flyby.advertisement(With inputs from Associated Press)Also Read: Trump says Harvard 'not behaving well,' may lose future government grantsMust Watch

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