Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!sri-unix!glenn@ll-vlsi From: glenn%ll-vlsi@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.space Subject: none Message-ID: <12435@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Thu, 27-Sep-84 18:34:10 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12435 Posted: Thu Sep 27 18:34:10 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 30-Sep-84 04:44:32 EDT Lines: 14 Subject: NASA and Women Spacewalkers An article in the Wall Street Journal (Sept 26) suggests that NASA not really that interested in getting women working in space with spacesuits. NASA now is using a set of off-the-rack spacesuits which come in sizes ranging from extra-small to extra-large. When they bought the suits the only extra-small one purchased was for test use on earth only. However five of the eight women astronauts take that size, and hence cannot do EVA's. All 66 male astronauts fit in working suits. NASA says that it did this to save money, but that does not seem reasonable. They could probably got the $600,000 needed just from saying to the congress that this would be a positive step for women's equality in the new realm of space. Glenn Chapman