Add another achievement to celebrate during Women’s History Month: an all-woman spacewalk.
That milestone is set to occur March 29 at the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will explore for seven hours outside the station as members of Expedition 59’s crew. Jackie Kagey will be the flight controller. At least two women will support the astronauts on the ground: lead flight director Mary Lawrence and NASA engineer Kristen Facciol.
Facciol tweeted about the spacewalk on March 1, writing, “I just found out that I’ll be on console providing support for the FIRST ALL FEMALE SPACEWALK with @AstroAnnimal and @Astro_Christina and I can not contain my excitement!!!!”
I just found out that I’ll be on console providing support for the FIRST ALL FEMALE SPACEWALK with @AstroAnnimal and @Astro_Christina and I can not contain my excitement!!!! #WomenInSTEM#WomenInEngineering#WomenInSpace
— Kristen Facciol (@kfacciol) March 1, 2019
The spacewalk will be Koch’s first spaceflight and McClain’s first time outside the International Space Station since arriving in early December last year.