NASA cancels all-women spacewalk due to lack of equipment

NASA's first-ever all-women spacewalk, which was said to happen this week, has been canceled due to the lack of spacesuits that could fit them. On March 29, ISS astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch were set to head out into the obsidian void and replace a set of batteries on the orbiting science lab.

The duo was ready to head out together on Friday, and perform the first ever all-women spacewalk, but the mission has been called off due to lack of equipment that fits. Koch along with Hague will carry out the work, however, McClaim will get her chance to step outside on April 8 again alongside Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques.

The duo needs a medium-size hard upper torso component of the spacesuit, and only one will be available for Friday. NASA in a statement said:

"Koch had been scheduled to conduct this spacewalk with astronaut McClain, in what would have been the first all-female spacewalk. However, after consulting with McClain and Hague following the first spacewalk, mission managers decided to adjust the assignments, due in part to spacesuit availability on the station.

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."

McClain was the 13th woman ready to set walk in space, making Koch the 14th if everything had gone according to the plan. Both of them are graduated from NASA's astronaut class of 2013, half of which were females.