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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