Posted March 26, 2019 18:06:38

Photo: Christina Koch was scheduled to conduct the walk with Anne McClain. (AP: Dmitri Lovetsky)

NASA has been forced to cancel history's first all-female spacewalk because it was unable to provide two properly fitting spacesuits for the astronauts.

Christina Koch and Anne McClain were scheduled to conduct the walk at the International Space Station on March 29, but because only one suitable spacesuit is available, Ms Koch will now be joined by Nick Hague.

"McClain learned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso — essentially the shirt of the spacesuit — fits her best," a NASA statement read.

"Because only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it."

The aim of the mission is to continue the installation of "powerful lithium-ion batteries for one of the station's solar arrays".

According to NASA, Ms McClain became the 13th woman to perform a spacewalk when she conducted one with Mr Hague on March 22.

Ms Koch will become the 14th on March 29.

Topics: space-exploration, astronomy-space, science-and-technology, united-states