Mumbai, India (CU)_ The next frontier for gender equality could be space. This week, the European Space Agency commenced an operation to hire more female astronauts as it launched its recruitment drive. The reports of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs indicate that almost 60 years since the first human shot off into space, women make up only 11 percent out of the 560 people who have traveled outside the earth’s atmosphere.
However, the European Space Agency (ESA) based in Paris which also follows the Nasa’s footprints said that it intends to guarantee greater diversity among its astronauts. The agency’s director of human and robotic exploration, David Parker detailed about the importance of gender equality in all sectors including space. He also said preference will be given to physical disabilities too. He said, “Representing all parts of our society is a concern that we take very seriously”. He added, “Diversity at ESA should not only address the origin, age, background or gender of our astronauts, but also perhaps physical disabilities”.
Last year, the US space agency NASA revealed that it is planning to send the first female astronaut to the moon through its Artemis Moon Mission by 2024. There are several errors and lapses in the space sector even now. In March 2019, Nasa was compelled to delay the first all-female spacewalk due to lack of a right size spacesuit. However, later that year, the groundbreaking spacewalk mission was accomplished.
