Making History Again! Two Women Step Outside the Space Station Today
Quick Summary
Today is a historic day in space! NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot floated outside the International Space Station. It is only the sixth time in history that an all-female team has done a spacewalk together.
What Happened?
Early this morning, two astronauts suited up, checked their gear, and stepped out into the vacuum of space. They are orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station, which flies about 250 miles (400 km) above the ground — roughly the same as driving from New York City to Boston.
Jessica Meir is from the United States and works for NASA. Sophie Adenot is from France and works for the European Space Agency. They floated outside the station for about six and a half hours — almost the length of a full school day.
Their task list was packed. They replaced a special mirror called a retroreflector, which helps visiting spacecraft find the correct docking port — like a reflective sticker that helps a driver park in the right spot at night. They also installed jumper cables to boost the station’s data systems, and prepared a particle physics experiment called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future upgrades.
This was Meir’s seventh spacewalk ever. That puts her third on the all-time list for female NASA astronauts, behind Peggy Whitson (10 spacewalks) and Suni Williams (9). For Adenot, it was her third — and she made history just two weeks ago as the first French woman ever to do a spacewalk.
It is also the 284th spacewalk in support of the space station since construction began in 1998.
Why Does It Matter?
Spacewalks are one of the most challenging things a human being can do. Outside the space station, there is no air, temperatures swing from scorching hot to bitterly cold, and a tiny mistake could be very serious. The astronauts complete these dangerous tasks to keep the station working properly for science experiments and future missions.
All-female spacewalks are still rare and exciting. The first one happened in October 2019 — not very long ago at all. Each one adds to a growing history of women doing extraordinary things in space.
Big Words
- Spacewalk — when an astronaut goes outside a spacecraft in a spacesuit; scientists call it an EVA, which stands for extravehicular activity
- Retroreflector — a mirror-like device that bounces light straight back to where it came from, helping spacecraft navigate and dock
- Vacuum — a space with no air at all; outer space is a near-perfect vacuum
- Docking — when a spacecraft carefully connects to a space station, like snapping two LEGO pieces together
- Constellation — a group of related satellites working together (also the name for star patterns!)
Fun Fact
During a spacewalk, an astronaut’s spacesuit acts as a one-person spacecraft. It provides air to breathe, keeps the right temperature, and shields against tiny fast-moving particles called micrometeoroids. The suit can cost up to $150 million!
Think About It
Astronauts train for years before doing a spacewalk. What skill in your own life have you practiced over and over until you got really good at it?
Sources
- NASA — NASA Sets Spacewalk for Station Maintenance, Live Coverage Planned
- NASA Blogs/SpaceStation — Expedition 75 is Go for Tuesday’s Navigation and Science Maintenance Spacewalk
- Space.com — Watch 2 astronauts take 6th-ever all-female spacewalk today