Making Space Walk History

October 18, 2019—Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir made history in a space walk (or EVA: Extra Vehicular Activity) at the International Space Station October 18, 2019.

Astronauts Chrstina Koch (left) and Jessica Meir prepare for their first spacewalk together inside the U.S. Quest airlock. Image: NASA

About today’s Space Walk: Koch and Meir wrestled a 232-lb battery charger to the left side of the lab’s solar array, to replace a failed unit and restore lost power. This was Koch’s 4th space walk and Meir’s first, the 221st station space walk since assembly in 1998, according to William Harwood, reporting for CBS News.

This represents the first time two women have conducted a space walk and is 35 years after the first woman, Svetlana Savistskaya, walked in space on July 25, 1984. The first American woman to walk in space was Kathryn Sullivan on October 11, 1984. Alexi Leonov, who died this past week, was the first person to walk in space. That was March of 1965. The first American to walk in space was Ed White, later that same year.

Learn more about this historic space walk by reading Bill Harwood’s article at: link

Or go to NPR at: link

Wikepedia: link