NASA astronauts, including NC State grad Christina Koch, make history in first all-female spacewalk - WXII12 Winston-Salem

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir exited the International Space Station on Friday, the first time in a half-century of spacewalking that a woman floated out without a male crewmate. Their job was to fix a broken part of the station's solar power network.The spacewalk officially began at 7:38 a.m. ET.America's first female spacewalker from 35 years ago, Kathy Sullivan, is delighted. She says it's good to finally have enough women in the astronaut corps and trained for spacewalking for this to happen.Koch grew up in Jacksonville and attended college in North Carolina. Koch arrived on the International Space Station on March 14 for her first spaceflight mission. She will remain on the station until February 2020, making her time on the station the longest single spaceflight by a woman.Koch's mission will surpass that of Peggy Whitson, who spent 288 consecutive days in space, and end up just shy of the longest single spaceflight by a NASA astronaut: 340 days, set by Scott Kelly. Koch graduated in 1997 from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham. She attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 2001, a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Master of Science in electrical engineering in 2002.While onboard, Koch participates in scientific research, station maintenance, outreach, visiting vehicle operations and spacewalks.Koch is slated to set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with an expected total of 328 days in space.NASA originally wanted to conduct an all-female spacewalk last spring, but did not have enough medium-size suits ready to go.Note: CNN contributed to this article.

RALEIGH, N.C. —

The spacewalk officially began at 7:38 a.m. ET.

America's first female spacewalker from 35 years ago, Kathy Sullivan, is delighted. She says it's good to finally have enough women in the astronaut corps and trained for spacewalking for this to happen.

Koch grew up in Jacksonville and attended college in North Carolina.

Koch arrived on the International Space Station on March 14 for her first spaceflight mission. She will remain on the station until February 2020, making her time on the station the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

Koch's mission will surpass that of Peggy Whitson, who spent 288 consecutive days in space, and end up just shy of the longest single spaceflight by a NASA astronaut: 340 days, set by Scott Kelly.

Koch graduated in 1997 from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham. She attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 2001, a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Master of Science in electrical engineering in 2002.

While onboard, Koch participates in scientific research, station maintenance, outreach, visiting vehicle operations and spacewalks.

Koch is slated to set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with an expected total of 328 days in space.

NASA originally wanted to conduct an all-female spacewalk last spring, but did not have enough medium-size suits ready to go.

Note: CNN contributed to this article.

2019-10-19 02:29:00Z
https://www.wxii12.com/article/nc-state-grad-christina-koch-to-get-second-chance-to-make-history-in-first-all-female-spacewalk/29403437