NASA’s All-Female Spacewalk Almost Ended Early After Glove Scare

NASA astronaut Anne McClain flagged an unexpected issue during a rare all-female spacewalk on the International Space Station (ISS), spotting what appeared to be a “slice” on the index finger of her glove. The incident occurred less than an hour into a six-and-a-half-hour EVA conducted with crewmate Nichole Ayers. The pair were outside the station to install a mounting bracket that will support a future solar array, part of NASA’s ongoing efforts to boost the ISS’s power output by up to 30 per cent.

One Tab, Two Cameras

While working through the early stages of the mission, McClain reported a strange tab at the seam of her right glove. “It’s right at the corner where the finger bends,” she told ground control in Houston. A close-up from her helmet camera helped clarify the concern: not a tear, but a loose fibre in the outer Turtleskin layer. Mission control determined the thread posed no threat to safety, and the EVA continued without further incident.

All-Female Spacewalk: A Long Time Coming

The walk marked a milestone for McClain. She was originally scheduled to be part of NASA’s first-ever all-female EVA back in 2019, but a mismatch in suit sizing meant she was replaced last-minute. That mission eventually took place later that year with Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. It was a reminder of NASA’s long-standing issues with spacesuit fit, particularly for women. The Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) design in use today dates back to the 1980s, and while modular, many components have historically failed to accommodate a range of body types. McClain’s own earlier walk had revealed the challenges of swapping torso sections mid-mission.

Ageing Suits, Tight Timelines

NASA has committed to developing next-generation suits, but progress has been slow. With the ISS set for retirement before the end of the decade, the time to transition is short. Current EMU gloves, like the ones McClain wore, are custom-fitted and inspected before each spacewalk. But the suits, like the station they’re aboard, are ageing fast. A 2023 EVA ended prematurely after water was spotted inside an astronaut’s helmet, one of several close calls in recent years.

Despite those constraints, the latest mission ended successfully. More than five years after her missed opportunity, McClain completed her first all-female EVA, only the fifth in NASA’s history, and a small loose thread didn’t stand in her way.