On Oct. 18, 2019, NC State alum Christina Koch and partner Jessica Meir took part in the first all-female spacewalk in the history of spaceflight. Koch and Meir are currently the only two women out of six astronauts who currently inhabit the International Space Station (ISS) in low-Earth orbit.

According to NASA’s website, the term “spacewalk” refers to any extravehicular activity (EVA) done by an astronaut outside of the Earth’s atmosphere. Astronauts on the ISS take part in spacewalks to repair damage to the exterior of the station, replace or upgrade equipment, or perform experiments.

CNN reported Koch and Meir remained outside the station for just over 7 hours. Their mission was to replace a faulty unit that supplied power to the station’s batteries via the solar arrays. 

NC State is known for its excellent STEM programs. The university’s aerospace engineering program specifically is preparing a new generation of both men and women for leadership roles in the field across the country, according to Jack Edwards, director of undergraduate programs in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. 

“I think we prepare students quite well,” Edwards said. “I’ve personally put some people in with NASA who are working on developing technology for the moon and Mars missions.” 

Additionally, Edwards said more and more women are enrolling in aerospace and related fields in recent years.

“The demographics are certainly shifting,” Edwards said. “A lot more young ladies are certainly interested and are coming into engineering, hitting the ground running.” 

Koch has served as a symbol of inspiration for NC State students who are proud to see a fellow member of the Wolfpack reach such heights in their career. Gracie Ward, a second-year studying nutrition science and international studies, said she thinks it is inspiring to see Koch partake such a historic moment.

“I think it’s really awesome that a Wolfpack alum has achieved such an accomplishment,” Ward said. “It’s awesome as a woman in science to see another woman in science succeeding.” 

Peyton Evans, a third-year studying agroecology, said Koch’s achievements encourage her in her pursuit of a career in STEM.

“It’s encouraging to see women take part in things that historically, they haven’t always been able to,” Evans said. “It makes me want to work harder in the field that I’m going into.”