Weekend Round-Up: Disposable Perspectives, Foreign Oscars, And The Lady Of Space Returns To Earth - HODINKEE

Christina Koch Lands On Earth, And Crosses A Threshold For Women In Space – The New York Times

Initially, I read this because Astronaut Koch and I share a name and I’m always game for some lady empowerment. That said, it’s also an interesting look at women in STEM careers and how their accomplishments can be overshadowed by being the “first woman” due to scarcity of opportunities within their field. Astronauts Koch and Meir completed the first all-female spacewalk, and Ms. Koch also now holds the record for the longest stay by a female astronaut in space at 328 days. The all-female spacewalk would have happened earlier, however, last year when Ms. Koch and another female astronaut, Anne McClain, were planning to go, NASA only had one suit fit for a woman, so they sent a man in Astronaut McClain’s place (no joke, this really happened). As women are more affected by radiation, NASA has previously limited the time women could spend in space, but with Astronaut Koch’s 328-day mission, this could change and open doors for women in the future. Her record-setting accomplishments do help pave the way for female astronauts, so they are notable in their own right.

–Kaitlin Koch, Marketing Associate

2020-02-08 15:41:36Z
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiLGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmhvZGlua2VlLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlcy9mZWItOC0yMDIw0gEA?oc=5