Two American astronauts, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir performed Friday, October 18th, an exit in space ... without man. A first since the beginning, 60 years ago, of space history historically dominated by men.
The two astronauts came out of the International Space Station (ISS) together to replace a 2000-year-old electric battery charging system more than 400 kilometers above the Earth. The release, which began at 1138 GMT and was to continue for nearly six hours, was broadcast live on the NASA website, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
LIVE NOW: Tune in to the first #AllWomanSpacewalk in human history! 👩🏻🚀
Starting at approximately 7:50 am ET, @Astro_Christina & @Astro_Jessica venture into the vacuum of space to replace a failed power controller. Watch: https://t.co/2SIb9YXlRh
More experienced, Christina Koch, 40, was first out, floating in her bulky white suit, followed by Jessica Mair, a 42-year-old marine biologist. The first, armed with adjustable wrenches and an electric screwdriver, hooked up to the articulated arm of the station to fetch the spare unit stored further on the station. Images as well applauded by the scientific community as by President Donald Trump who hailed from the White House, two "very courageous women".
A model for future generations
Christina Koch and Jessica Meir flew over the Middle East during the day, said a former astronaut, Stephanie Wilson, in communication with them from the control room in Houston. Beyond the technological prowess, "this spacewalk sends a very strong message and could inspire future generations of women," said Miho Janvier, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Space Astrophysics contacted by France 24.
As a reminder, the first spacewalk entirely performed by women was originally scheduled to take place in March, but NASA had to cancel it due to a shortage of medium-sized combinations. A setback that sparked a wave of indignation around the world. Many Internet users had seen through this quack last minute the legacy of an imperturbable male domination. "Make another combination," Hillary Clinton had insisted on Twitter. In the end, a male teammate, Nick Hague, had to replace astronaut Anne McClain, for lack of a combination of size M.
"A world carved by and for men"
"This story shows that we live in a world that is mainly carved by and for men, and this is a fundamental problem not only found in space research, but also in the sciences in general and in all aspects of everyday life, "said Miho Janvier who says today" moved "by this exclusively female release.
Historically, space equipment has been designed and tested for men, considered more fit because physically stronger and larger, which would facilitate the handling of tools needed to repair equipment in weightlessness.
While some astronauts have since marked the history of the space conquest like the Russian pioneer Valentina Terechkova in 1963 or the American Sally Ride in 1983, the space still remains mostly explored by men. Less than 11 percent of the estimated 500 astronauts who have traveled to orbit are women, says The Guardian. The overwhelming majority are American, but France, Russia, China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada or Japan have also sent some female astronauts into space.
Still, this feminization is progressing "slowly" and is struggling to break the "glass ceiling", regrets the astrophysicist. "There are both men and women in the team of scientists and engineers who work on the equipment of a probe, but decision-making or representation positions are obviously male."
A first woman on the moon
Proof that vocations emerge yet among the new generations, the last promotion of NASA astronauts, selected in 2013 and which are Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, was half made up of women. "We want space to be accessible to everyone, and this day marks a new stage in this evolution," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Friday. "I have an 11 year old daughter, I want her to have the same opportunities as me when I was young," he continued.
Wanting to lead by example, NASA ensures that the next trip to the moon, scheduled for 2024, will have a woman on her space team. "A measure that is essential today," says Miho. "Fifty years ago, nobody had flinched about the fact that there were only men during the lunar conquest, and today NASA can not close its eyes."
Launched by Donald Trump, the mission Artemis 3 plans to send two astronauts walk on the Earth's satellite, for the first time since 1972. And if the lunar team had not one but two women? A hypothesis that remains "possible", argues Nasa. "An important symbol" but "would gain in strength if we chose women of ethnic diversity, which is more for a land of immigration like the United States", concludes the researcher.