NASA cancels first all-female spacewalk due to ‘spacesuit availability’ issues

NASA said Monday that it has canceled what would have been its first all-female spacewalk, citing “spacesuit availability” issues.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch had been scheduled to conduct the spacewalk on March 29, NASA said in a statement. According to NASA, the astronauts learned that they wear the same size spacesuit, but only one of that size will be available by March 29. 

{mosads}”Mission managers decided to adjust the assignments, due in part to spacesuit availability on the station,” the statement reads. “McClain learned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso – essentially the shirt of the spacesuit – fits her best. Because only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it.”

The spacewalk scheduled for March 29 will be the second in a series of spacewalks. The first, held on March 22, was conducted by McClain and astronaut Nick Hague.

McClain will conduct her next spacewalk on April 8, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques, according to NASA.