History is made: NASA has its first ever all-woman crew carrying out a spacewalk

The first ever all-woman crew spacewalk by NASA is scheduled for the end of this month in a schedule released on Wednesday 6 March.

As reported by CNN, NASA astronauts Anne McClain – who will be in space for the first time – and Christina Koch will carry out the spacewalk on 29 March 2019 with support from an all-women crew.

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This milestone comes 41 years after the first class of women and black astronauts, and 35 years after Russian Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk space.

According to Time, Svetlana “tested one of the most important repair methods ever, welding and brazing metal samples in the vacuum of space”.

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Dubbed the Expedition 59, this spacewalk is expected to last seven hours. 

NASA spokesperson Stephanie Schierholz told CNN: "In addition to the two female spacewalkers, the Lead Flight Director is Mary Lawrence, and Jackie Kagey (also a woman), is the lead EVA (spacewalk) flight controller."

According to CNN, Anne and Christina were part of the 2013 astronaut class, half of which were women. Time reports that women at NASA now account for about 34% of its astronauts.

Some of the crew have been sharing their journeys online with these great visuals: 

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