It was supposed to be an historic moment—the first all-female spacewalk. And then it was cancelled, for reasons that only reinforced the need for it. But space is unforgiving, and the slightest slip can be fatal, so when a second suit in a woman's size couldn't be found, there was no other choice. Instead of a legendary achievement in equality, the world got a good look at the challenges facing women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
It's a problem that goes beyond spacesuits—but when physician and astronaut Shawna Pandya heard the news, she recognized a phenomenon she'd experienced everywhere in her career, from the operating room to a simulation of a mission to mars. We used to say the world is made for men—does that apply to space, too? Even in 2019?
GUEST: Shawna Pandya, physician and citizen scientist astronaut candidate