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Artemis

Debunking Those Short Women EVA Myths

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
October 18, 2019
Filed under ,

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

13 responses to “Debunking Those Short Women EVA Myths”

  1. Vladislaw says:
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    what is the saying .. when you are digging yourself into a hole … stop digging ..

  2. fcrary says:
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    I’ll display my ignorance. Who is Mr. Bowersox and why should I pay any attention to his rather uninformed opinions? Would refuting his comment just amount to feeding the trolls?

    • moon2mars says:
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      Ken Bowersox is a veteran of five Space Shuttle launches and an extended stay aboard the International Space Station. When he launched on STS-73 at the age of 38 years and 11 months, he became the youngest person ever to command a Space Shuttle vehicle. On ISS Expedition 6, (Nov. 23, 2002 – May 3, 2003) Bowersox performed 2 EVAs (spacewalks) to continue the external outfitting of the orbital outpost.

      Total Time in space: 211 days 14 hours 12 minutes

      • kcowing says:
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        Your point?

        • moon2mars says:
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          Point being is very simple, listing experience and background of Bowersox for the uninformed.

        • Kirk says:
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          fcrary: Who is Bowersox?
          moon2mars: He’s an astronaut with the following experience …
          kcowing: Your point?
          Me: ????

          Regarding Bowersox, it’s also worth mentioning that he became became Acting Associate Administrator for NASA’s Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate in July when Gerstenmaier was given the boot.

    • ghall says:
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      You know…the astronaut on Home Improvement. LOL. https://www.youtube.com/wat

    • Michael Spencer says:
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      uh-oh! foot, meet mouth? 🙂

      Ken Bowersox had at least 5 shuttle missions that I can recall. I’d say his opinions are very informed. Google is your friend, Dr. C!

      • fcrary says:
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        Actually, I’d disagree. There is a long history of the experts in the field opposing an end to discrimination. From everything to military service to construction work to computer programing, the people in the field have pointed out biological differences to oppose women entering the field. The real problem is that they are considered the “experts” so their statements are taken seriously without much critical examination.

        In this case, I can’t see how having a longer reach is a fundamental advantage. At least not overall. Smaller people can get their hands and arms into more cramped spaces, which I’d also think is an advantage. Women have, on average, a lower metabolic rate, so they can do slightly longer EVA without taking the suit’s endurance. Sure, men and women are different. But that isn’t a clear better/worse thing.

        As far as an astronaut with flight experience is concerned, please remember that there was a congressional hearing in the 1960s, about why NASA didn’t have any female astronauts. John Glenn testified in favor of NASA’s position, saying “The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order.” And he went on to say that men did dangerous things while a woman’s place was to stay at home. I would be hard pressed to say Mr. Glenn was not an experienced astronaut. I would also be hard pressed to agree with anything he said at that congressional hearing.

  3. Bad Horse says:
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    The suits are designed for men. Remember Marsha Ivins (Astronaut) was bumped from a tour on Mir because she was to small to fit in a Russian Orlan launch and entry suit.

  4. Matthew Black says:
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    I can think of only one occasion on an EVA where an Astronaut’s height and reach truly made a difference: Scott Parazynski vs the torn ISS solar arrays on STS-120. Are there other instances? I’d have to research that.

  5. Patrick Underwood says:
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    EVAs performed by women are shorter than EVAs performed by men? Weird!!

  6. james w barnard says:
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    Maybe I don’t understand the fanfare over two women going EVA. The reason for the original EVA not going earlier was the lack of another short-torso suit. That can be tied to some poor planning on the part of someone at NASA. Certainly there may be male astronauts of shorter stature who might need to use one! As to today’s EVA having been advanced from prior planning, that was due to the failure of the Battery Charge/Discharge Unit (BCDU), which needed quick replacement. OK, so they had two highly competent astronauts, including a veteran and a rookie. They went out, did the job of removing and replacing the bad unit with a good one, and did some other tasks. Outstanding job troops!
    That’s NOT to take anything away from their job. But as they themselves stated to the president, they just happened to be two woman EVA together, but certainly NOT the first female astronauts to go EVA. It’s what’s between you ears, not other components of the human body!
    Certainly, if Humanity is to progress to the Moon, Mars and beyond, we will need woman as well as men!
    Ad Luna! Ad Ares! AD ASTRA!