Since the Space Shuttle fleet was retired in 2011, NASA has paid Russia for rides to the International Space Station, at more than $80 million a seat. But Bridenstine said he deferred to the operators of the space station, who decided “it was in the best interest of the program to follow this schedule and optimize use of the space station. ADADIn October, Koch and Jessica Meir performed the first all-female spacewalk when they stepped outside the space station to repair a faulty battery charger. Enjoy planet Earth!”ADThe achievement comes as NASA this year is celebrating 20 years of continuous human presence on the space station, some 240 miles above Earth. Stofan said it is important to have women participate in long-duration flights in Earth orbit, in preparation for long human journeys into deep space.

Source: Washington Post February 06, 2020 09:11 UTC