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Poorly fitting spacesuits have forced NASA to cancel its first attempt at an all-female spacewalk.
Astronauts Christina Koch and Anne McClain were due to walk around the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) on March 29, but in a press release, the space agency announced that it had changed its plans âdue in part to spacesuit availability on the stationâ.
[ul]
[li]Are we getting closer to finding âPlanet Nineâ?[/li][li]Buzz Aldrin on how youâll âget your ass to Marsâ[/li][li]How to photograph the moon[/li][/ul]
The problem involves the top part of the spacesuit. âMcClain learned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso â essentially the shirt of the spacesuit â fits her best,â NASA said. âBecause only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it.â
Astronaut Nick Hague will take McClainâs place, and join Koch replacing batteries on the space stationâs solar arrays.
Growing pains
It might seem like a strange oversight, but as Space.com explains, fitting for spacesuits can be tricky due to the effects of microgravity. Astronautsâ spines arenât compressed as they would be on Earth, which means they essentially become taller after some time in space.
Itâs not clear whether this was the reason for the lack of suitable equipment on the ISS, but this month McCain tweeted that she is now two inches taller than when she left Earth in December.
[IMG alt=âDividerâ]http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WeA...WbpcPmS5Ph.jpg
Welcome to TechRadarâs Space Week â a celebration of space exploration, throughout our solar system and beyond. Visit our Space Week hub to stay up to date with all the latest news and features.
Continue readingâŚ[/IMG]
Astronauts Christina Koch and Anne McClain were due to walk around the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) on March 29, but in a press release, the space agency announced that it had changed its plans âdue in part to spacesuit availability on the stationâ.
[ul]
[li]Are we getting closer to finding âPlanet Nineâ?[/li][li]Buzz Aldrin on how youâll âget your ass to Marsâ[/li][li]How to photograph the moon[/li][/ul]
The problem involves the top part of the spacesuit. âMcClain learned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso â essentially the shirt of the spacesuit â fits her best,â NASA said. âBecause only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it.â
Astronaut Nick Hague will take McClainâs place, and join Koch replacing batteries on the space stationâs solar arrays.
Growing pains
It might seem like a strange oversight, but as Space.com explains, fitting for spacesuits can be tricky due to the effects of microgravity. Astronautsâ spines arenât compressed as they would be on Earth, which means they essentially become taller after some time in space.
Itâs not clear whether this was the reason for the lack of suitable equipment on the ISS, but this month McCain tweeted that she is now two inches taller than when she left Earth in December.
[IMG alt=âDividerâ]http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WeA...WbpcPmS5Ph.jpg
[IMG alt=âSpace Weekâ]http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9zi85AT8tURH5C2fwZs996.jpg
Welcome to TechRadarâs Space Week â a celebration of space exploration, throughout our solar system and beyond. Visit our Space Week hub to stay up to date with all the latest news and features.
Continue readingâŚ[/IMG]