Female Astronaut Part Of Historic Spacewalk Shares Picture With Inspirational Message

This past Friday, NASA made history. For the first time in its 61 years of existence, the US space agency saw the world's first all-woman spacewalk. And astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir have become something of rockstars in their own rights.

Christina Koch (L) and Jessica Meir (R), preparing for their spacewalk together - Images courtesy: NASA

Though there have been other women on spacewalks before, Koch and Meir were the first female-only duo to perform external repairs on the International Space Station. They were tasked with replacing a failed part of the space station's power systems.

All told, the spacewalk lasted seven hours and 17 minutes, a little while longer than the 5.5 hours NASA had budgeted for. It was also the 221st spacewalk outside the ISS.

Meir was braving the vacuum of space for the first time in her career, and you can bet it was quite the experience for her. Koch meanwhile is a seasoned spacewalker, with this being her fourth time stepping into the void.

At the time, she tweeted a shot of the exterior of the ISS saying, "It's not often I get to see my house from the outside."

Curb appeal. It¡¯s not often I get to see my house from the outside. This photo I snapped on my spacewalk last Friday captures the habitable modules that I have called home for the last eight months. Pretty lucky to be living inside an engineering marvel. pic.twitter.com/djbnCstXfN

¡ª Christina H Koch (@Astro_Christina) October 15, 2019

She's back on Twitter today with a more important message for both budding astronauts and, more importantly, all the women and young girls looking up to her.

To all those reaching to new heights: yes you can. #AllWomanSpacewalk pic.twitter.com/sPqfcK2ULy

¡ª Christina H Koch (@Astro_Christina) October 20, 2019

"To all those reaching to new heights: yes you can," she said, captioning a photo of herself in full spacesuit gear, mid-repairs outside the ISS.

It seems to have worked too, as the wishes pour in, many with parents talking about their own daughters and how they want to make it up into space.

You are a huge inspiration to my 18yo daughter @andressa_ojeda - Thanks! pic.twitter.com/QoNAZdDNJN

¡ª Paulo Ojeda (@pauloojeda) October 20, 2019

It's good that girls can have role models like Koch and Meir, and all the women in space before them. Because as we screw up the world we're on right now, we're going to need our smartest minds up there in space, ready to save us.